The Origins Of Gang Violence

¨Gang members have been responsible for 61 percent of all homicides [in Chicago] in 2011, up from 58.7 percent in 2010¨ (Hidden America). These are some of the few disturbing statistics about gang violence in Chicago; however, as many people do not know, gangs have not always been about drugs and violence. In the early 19th century, gangs are not what people perceive them to be today. Gangs in the 19th century were volunteers with the fire department back in the Antebellum Period, which is the period before the civil war and after the War of 1812. As time went on and as the professional firemen forced the volunteers to break up, they started spreading apart. Then by the late 19th century, gangs started developing on the south side. This is

Initially gang activity could only be found in large metropolitan cities, but now gangs have invaded neighborhoods of all sizes across the country. Gangs introduce violence and fear to the communities they occupy, raise the level of drug activities, and destroy businesses and property which brings down the overall value of the whole area. Instead of going to school, many young people find themselves drawn in to the gang life which in most cases either leads to being locked up or death. There are various reasons why people would want to join a gang, but no matter what that reason might be one can only expect a life of violence and troubles.

Alcohol was seen as the devil's advocate and banning the substance would help improve the quality of American lives. Instead, crime rates rocketed as well as the amount of violence. The selling of liquor during the prohibition was coined as the term, “bootlegging.” Bootleggers used waterways, rivers, cars, and trains to transport alcohol across state line. When the American people became desperate the resulted to homemade alcohol. Due to alcohol being made in homes and other places that weren’t certified for the production of Alcohol, the quality became poor and this resulted in many people contracting illnesses. Death from alcohol poisoning alone had risen to over 400%. It is argued that alcohol was less easily obtainable before prohibition since the bootlegging industry was so immense. You could now purchase alcohol on almost any street in America, because it was being made and sold everywhere (Nash “Organized Crime in the 1920's and

The most known African american gangs are the Crips and Bloods. They were “the two most violent and criminally active African American gangs-originated” (Hoover 1). The Crips formed in Los Angeles. Neighborhoods and schools would be assaulted by the Crips. They would also do armed robberies. “They developed a reputation for being the most fierce and feared gang in the Los Angeles area” (Hoover 3). Other gangs were being formed because people felt like they needed to be protected from the Crips. A gang that was formed was the Bloods. This gang was from Compton, California. These two gangs were involved in many crimes such as robbery, assault, and selling drugs. They usually sold “marijuana, phencyclidine, and lysergic acid diethylamide” (Hoover

Gentrification is displacing gangs and causing turf wars. Gentrification and the tearing down of public housing in Chicago left many gangs homeless (Brief outline). Due to this, gangs battle over land and housing, known as turf wars. The violence rises, along with the number of deaths. Therefore police attempt to limit the gangs, but that also leads to fighting and violence with police. The whole cycle involves violence and is vicious.

Gang violence has been around for thousands of years it just hasn't gone by the term “Gang

The end of the American Revolutionary War (1783), started enormous immigration from Europe. The new immigrants settled in the Northeast region of the United States and as a result, it began to experience street gangs. However, most organized and violent street gangs did not emerge in America until the beginning of the nineteenth century.

The end of the American Revolutionary War (1783), started enormous immigration from Europe. The new immigrants settled in the Northeast region of the United States and as a result, it began to experience street gangs. However, most organized and violent street gangs did not emerge in America until the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Present Day Gangs - Many American gangs began, and still exist, in urban areas. In many cases, national street gangs originated in major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Miami, and they later migrated to other American cities such as Atlanta, Cleveland, Nashville, Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans, Orlando, Detroit and Houston. (Wikipedia) There are some 33,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs and about 1.4 million members are criminally active in the United States today. Many of these gangs are sophisticated and very well organized. They all use violence to control their neighborhoods and to support their illegal activities. Their activities include robbery, gun and drug trafficking, fraud, extortion, and some prostitution rings. Gangs are responsible for 48 percent of the violent crimes in some areas and up to 90 percent in other areas. There are many prison gangs that are very racially motivated. Some gangs such as the Folk Nation and People Nation originated in the

The vast amount of wealth caused much dictation over the country and the mafia then came to the United States in 1860. These members owned many businesses, land, homes, and much more wealth (Frank 64.) The mafia has also been named “a second government (Kelly 80.) ” Prohibition was one of the main reasons that mob leaders had gotten widely spread due to the demand of alcohol and casinos.

The 1960’s or 1970’s is when gangs were originated. Gangs became a formation of protection against racial crimes being committed by whites. There were quite a few popular gangs such as the Slausons,

In today’s World there is so much going on right now dealing with gun violence and other illegal things that we know about. Gangs is one of the problems that is talked about, gangs is similar to the early American History because as we know gangs is known for killing their enemies and taking over other people's properties just how the British came to America to invade it. The British had moved in on the Americans

According to the ncjrs.gov, historically the United States has encountered four points in history of gang growth. The late 1800’s, the 1920’s, the 1960’s, and the 1990’s. The earliest debuts of gangs in the United States is suggested to be around the ending of the American Revolution in 1783. Groups or as a collective response to urban conditions. They may have emerged from adolescent play Gangs also spread into England in the 1800’s right as the industrial revolution took off in large cities such as New York and Chicago. The peak during this time was due to immigration and shifts in the population. The large cities attracted immigrants and spread them into areas of transition. This became launching pads toward more prosperous, middle class

These groups included the famous Forty Thieves who were based in New York. As the years went by organized crime groups began to flourish more and more. The most notable group was the Italian-Americans, which formed the Mafia. However, it wasn’t until Prohibition that these groups became successful and established. The mobsters in the 1920’s and 30’s, consisted mostly of Italian-Americans which controlled a great deal of the organized crime in New York and Chicago. The idea of prohibition became ironic because instead of creating a respectable and law-abiding society by outlawing alcohol it assisted in creating one of the greatest crime filled period’s in America’s history. Prohibition also helped to establish the famous mob leaders we know today, such as “Lucky” Luciano and Al Capone. According to Hilary Parkinson in the article “Prohibition and the Rise of the American Gangster”, “from Los Angeles to Chicago to New York, organized crime syndicates supplied speakeasies and underground establishments with large quantities of beer and liquor”. These underground networks formed a virtual river for alcohol. The prohibition age formed a widespread network of crime bosses that worked together for a single cause. This was to buy, trade and sell

Throughout history, crime has existed in many different forms and has been committed by not only individuals, but by groups as well. Crime is something that knows no boundaries; it exists in all cultures, is committed by all races, and has existed in all time periods. Crime exists as a part of the economic institution and is a lifestyle for many people. Crime also exists in both organized and un organized forms. Since the early 1900's, "organized" crime has existed in the United States. The following will show where, when, and why the Mafia came to the United States, who organized it in the United States, and how it differed from its origins in the European mafia. By showing this you will see how this specific type of organized