The position of “Przyjaciel Ludu” towards attempts to unite the Polish community in America in the years 1880-1881

Abstract

The article is a contribution to the research into the Polish periodical “Przyjaciel Ludu” that was published at the end of the 19^th century in Chicago and Milwaukee. The periodical was at first a monthly, and then a weekly. It was published in 1876-1884. It had a popular-literary character and a rich choice of subjects ranging from politics, history, religion to current events. The prevailing aspect of the deliberations included in the present article is a reflection on the role the periodical played in the integration of the Polish community in America under the leadership of Związek Narodowy Polski. First of all the polemic character of the periodical is analyzed as well as the circumstances in which the periodical collapsed.