Anti-Mask League of San Francisco facts for kids

Barbers in California wearing masks during the 1918 flu epidemic

The Anti-Mask League was a group formed in San Francisco, California. They protested a rule that made people wear masks during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. This rule lasted less than a month before it was stopped. Because the league existed for a short time, it's hard to know exactly how many members it had. However, about 4,000 to 5,000 people attended a meeting in January 1919 to protest a second mask rule.

How the Mask Rules Started

Cases of the Spanish Flu began to appear in San Francisco in the fall of 1918. The first case was found in late September. By mid-October, the city had more than 2,000 cases. The city's health leaders tried different ways to slow the disease. They stopped large gatherings, closed schools and theaters, and told people to avoid crowds.

Workers who served customers, like barbers and bank tellers, had to wear masks. On October 25, the city passed a rule requiring everyone in San Francisco to wear a mask in public. This included being in a group of two or more people, except when eating.

Most people followed the mask rule at first. About 80% of people wore masks in public. The Red Cross even sold masks at the ferry terminal. If someone didn't wear a mask or wore it wrong, they would get a warning. For repeated problems, they could be fined or jailed. Even the city's health officer and the mayor paid fines for not wearing masks at a boxing match.

The first mask rule ended on November 21, 1918. However, when flu cases started to rise again, a new mask rule began on January 17, 1919.

Why the Anti-Mask League Formed

While there were some complaints during the first mask period, the new rule in 1919 caused stronger opposition. This led to the creation of the Anti-Mask League. The league included doctors, regular citizens, and people who believed in personal freedoms. One member of the city's governing board also joined.

An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people attended a league meeting on January 25. Some members wanted to gather signatures for a petition to end the mask rule. Others wanted to try and remove the city's health officer from his job. Members also pushed for San Francisco Mayor James Rolph, Jr. to step down if he didn't cancel the rule.

The league's president, Mrs. E.C. Harrington, was a strong critic of the mayor. She was a suffragist, lawyer, and fought for workers' rights. Some people thought the protests were also about politics. The discussions were very intense. Some people argued against the rule based on scientific facts. Others felt the rule took away their personal freedoms.

Besides the Anti-Mask League's complaints, some health officers from other cities also said masks might not be needed. San Francisco's health officer criticized the state's health board for questioning masks. He said their attitude was "encouraging the Anti-Mask League."

On January 27, the league gave a petition to the city's Board of Supervisors. Mrs. E. C. Harrington signed it as president. Newspapers around the world reported on the protesting group. San Francisco ended the mask rule on February 1, 1919, after the Board of Health recommended it.

What We Learned From History

A study in 1919 suggested that mandatory mask rules didn't make a big difference in the flu outbreak. It noted that masks were often worn outdoors, not inside where the flu spread more easily. It also pointed out that many masks were not made well or from good materials.

However, medical experts in 2020 looked back at the data. They believe that the drop in flu deaths in San Francisco was partly due to the mandatory mask-wearing rules.

During the recent COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, some people protested against wearing face masks and lockdown rules. These protests led to comparisons with the Anti-Mask League from 1918.

See Also

In Spanish: Anti-Mask League of San Francisco para niños