Chicago came under martial law after the Great Fire. Did it help?

Chicago came under martial law after the Great Fire. Did it help?

March 18, 2026 · 25 min

About this episode

The episode explores the declaration of martial law in Chicago after the Great Fire and its implications, including a comparison to modern immigration enforcement.

The mayor of Chicago declared martial law after the Great Fire in 1871. The military occupation ended days later, after the death of a civilian. We look back at that history and get the help of legal experts to answer these questions: Was Operation Midway Blitz — the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement campaign in Chicago — an example of martial law? What is martial law, anyway?

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