Belle Cora, also known as Arabella Ryan, was a madam of the Barbary Coast of San Francisco during the mid-nineteenth century. She rose to public attention in 1855 when her lover, Charles Cora, killed
A vigilance committee is a group of private citizens who take it upon themselves to administer law and order or exercise power in places where they consider the governmental structures or actions inad
Belle Cora
…financial agency and the use of sex for empowerment. In addition, Cora advocated against gender stereotypes, as demonstrated by her legal battle with the Vigilance Committee; ultimately she set the precedent to resist further legislation like that of sodomy laws in the 20th century. List of people from San Francisco…
Vigilance committee in Boston in 1851, after Thomas Sims's arrest