How the Mishandling of the Great
Earthquake of 1906 Began the Panic of 1907
Natural disasters and macroeconomics are not two topics one would normally think to place together as affecting one another; however, natural disasters have the ability to play a large role in macroeconomics. For example, as tectonic plates ruptured on a chilly, San Franciscan morning in 1906, the American economy soon followed suit in a rupture of its own. The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and its poor handling set off a chain of events that caused the Panic of 1907. The destructive decisions made primarily by San Francisco’s corrupt Mayor Eugene Schmitz and ruthless Army General Frederick Funston in the aftermath of the earthquake set in motion events that caused …show more content…
2005. 23). On April 18th, during that terrible year of the Fire Horse, at 5:12 in the morning, 296 miles of the Andreas Fault ruptured, resulting in one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history (“The great”. 2016). With the Mercator Scale not invented until 1935, the San Francisco earthquake was measured at the time on the Mercalli Intensity Scale as a 7.8 (Boatwright & Bundock. 2007.) – a measurement that was later estimated to be an 8.3 in magnitude on the Mercator Scale (Richardson. 2015). With the epicenter thought to be very near San Francisco, the quake had the most devastating effect on San Francisco’s 400,000 citizens and tens of thousands of buildings. Though, according to historian Dr. Sarah Richardson, “The 1906 event was not the biggest quake in North America,” which she later explains by stating, “…the 1964 earthquake in Alaska holds that record. Nor did it cover the most territory; the New Madrid earthquake along the Mississippi River near St. Louis in 1811-12 did. But it was by far the most devastating” (Richardson. …show more content…
Despite his distrust, Funston ultimately combined forces with Schmitz to help combat the fires and keep order, leading to an unofficial and illegal issuing of martial law (“San Francisco”. 2010). In another act of illegality, due to rumors of widespread looting that were without basis, Mayor Eugene Schmitz issued “…an order of doubtful constitutionality” (Cherny. 2007). Schmitz’s order read, in part, “The Federal Troops, the members of the Regular Police Force, and all Special Police Officers have been authorized by me to KILL any and all persons found engaged in Looting or in the Commission of Any Other Crime” (“Mayor”.). Many people died “…because they were looters or because they were mistaken for looters…” but primarily because of the panicked, unlawful decisions made by both Funston and Schmitz (Cherny.
Earthquake of 1906 Began the Panic of 1907
Natural disasters and macroeconomics are not two topics one would normally think to place together as affecting one another; however, natural disasters have the ability to play a large role in macroeconomics. For example, as tectonic plates ruptured on a chilly, San Franciscan morning in 1906, the American economy soon followed suit in a rupture of its own. The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and its poor handling set off a chain of events that caused the Panic of 1907. The destructive decisions made primarily by San Francisco’s corrupt Mayor Eugene Schmitz and ruthless Army General Frederick Funston in the aftermath of the earthquake set in motion events that caused …show more content…
2005. 23). On April 18th, during that terrible year of the Fire Horse, at 5:12 in the morning, 296 miles of the Andreas Fault ruptured, resulting in one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history (“The great”. 2016). With the Mercator Scale not invented until 1935, the San Francisco earthquake was measured at the time on the Mercalli Intensity Scale as a 7.8 (Boatwright & Bundock. 2007.) – a measurement that was later estimated to be an 8.3 in magnitude on the Mercator Scale (Richardson. 2015). With the epicenter thought to be very near San Francisco, the quake had the most devastating effect on San Francisco’s 400,000 citizens and tens of thousands of buildings. Though, according to historian Dr. Sarah Richardson, “The 1906 event was not the biggest quake in North America,” which she later explains by stating, “…the 1964 earthquake in Alaska holds that record. Nor did it cover the most territory; the New Madrid earthquake along the Mississippi River near St. Louis in 1811-12 did. But it was by far the most devastating” (Richardson. …show more content…
Despite his distrust, Funston ultimately combined forces with Schmitz to help combat the fires and keep order, leading to an unofficial and illegal issuing of martial law (“San Francisco”. 2010). In another act of illegality, due to rumors of widespread looting that were without basis, Mayor Eugene Schmitz issued “…an order of doubtful constitutionality” (Cherny. 2007). Schmitz’s order read, in part, “The Federal Troops, the members of the Regular Police Force, and all Special Police Officers have been authorized by me to KILL any and all persons found engaged in Looting or in the Commission of Any Other Crime” (“Mayor”.). Many people died “…because they were looters or because they were mistaken for looters…” but primarily because of the panicked, unlawful decisions made by both Funston and Schmitz (Cherny.