An Illinois Governor pardoned 26 prisoners during his last day in office

There's a reason why John Peter Altgeld was dubbed John "Pardon" Altgeld.

Photo byYe JinghanonUnsplash

You've most likely heard of Altgeld Gardens before, but do you know where the housing project name came from? It's named after Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld, the 20th Governor of the state, who served in office from 1893 until 1897.

Altgeld was known for many things while in office. He was supposedly the leading figure of the Progressive movement, signed child labor and workplace safety laws, and even rejected attempts to use force to end the Pullman strike.

However, Altgeld didn't mind using his power to pardon prisoners. His most controversial pardon was when he freed three of the men convicted in the Haymarket Affair. The politician was born in Germany but grew up on a farm in the Midwest. After studying law in Missouri, he opened a law practice in Chicago.

After deciding to run for Governor of Illinois, he found himself bringing in a victory but didn't get to celebrate the way he'd expected. Altgeld suffered a nervous breakdown prior to his inauguration and almost died of a severe fever. He delivered a small portion of his speech.

Eventually, he got healthier and wasted no time using his power. During his time in office, Altgeld pardoned 81 prisoners by the end of 1895, including criminals of crimes ranging from murders to armed robberies.

On Altgeld's last day in office, he freed 26 offenders, which was a portion of the reason for his unsuccessful 1896 reelection campaign.