My ChicagoBy the end of her first meeting with the late mayor Richard J. Daley, Jane Byrne had been questioned, berated, and told she might, one day, reach the House but probably not the Senate-and she had also reduced him to tears. That would be but the first of many altercations in her pioneering political career. My Chicago is the story of Jane Byrne's rise from young campaign worker to the mayor's office, all within the bruising arena of Chicago politics. Part sociopolitical history, part memoir, it begins with a history of the city and her early life, before she enters politics as a paid staff member of JFK's presidential campaign and, soon after, begins service in the Chicago Machine, but not of it. Her view from the inside allows Byrne to sketch portraits of Daley, for whom she eventually worked, members of the Kennedy family, and Presidents Carter and Reagan. And, of course, it provides a fascinating perspective on the battle to succeed Daley, which ended with her own triumph over the Machine and a controversial term as mayor, which saw her begin development across the city and (famously) move into the Cabrini-Green housing project. The first memoir by a Chicago mayor in two generations, My Chicago is a valuable history as well as an entertaining look at no-holds-barred city politics. |
Contents
2004 FOREWORD | 9 |
FOREWORD The First Meeting | 13 |
1 A Magic of Its Own | 18 |
2 The Spirit of Chicago | 37 |
3 Haymarket Violence | 52 |
4 The White City | 62 |
5 Coming of Age | 74 |
6 Modern Chicago | 91 |
13 The City That Wasnt Working | 192 |
14 It Cant Happen Here | 205 |
15 The Tumultuous Seventies | 222 |
16 Daleys Last Hurrah | 239 |
17 The New Mayor of Chicago | 251 |
18 Great Dreams for Chicago | 270 |
19 A Time of Affluence | 300 |
20 Madame ExMayor | 325 |
Common terms and phrases
alderman announced asked began Bilandic Bill Bobby boss Bridgeport building Cabrini Green called campaign candidate Carter Carter Harrison Catholic Cermak chairman Chicago Daily Chicago History Chicago River Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Tribune Chicagoans ChicagoFest church city council City Hall city's commissioner committeemen convention Cook County Crane crowd Daley's Democratic downtown Dunne election father federal fire gangs going Illinois immigrants Irish Jane Byrne John Kathy Kelly Kennedy knew labor Lake leaders Lincoln looked machine Mayor Daley mayor's office Medill Michigan Avenue mother moved Navy Pier neighborhoods never night north side O'Hare Park party percent police political President protesters public housing Ragen's Colts Republican Richie riot river Sauganash south side Street strike Sun-Times Swibel Thompson thought tion told took turned U.S. attorney vote voters Wacker Drive walked wanted ward west side workers World's Fair
References to this book
A Race Against Time: The Crisis in Urban Schooling James G. Cibulka,William L. Boyd No preview available - 2003 |