THE POLISH NATIONAL ALLIANCE

Detailed History Page 2

By Donald E. Pienkos

In defining their initial action program, the PNA's founders drew on the advice of political exiles living in Switzerland, who had taken part in the failed 1863 uprising against Russian rule. One of these, Agaton Giller (1831-1887), even published a statement outlining the rationale behind such an Alliance that much influenced the PNA's development:

Because the Polish emigration in America constitutes an undeniably great force, it should be the task of those who are motivated by true patriotic feelings to direct this force so that our fatherland's cause will be presented to best advantage (in America) ... In what way can we best direct the realization of Poland's cause? Through organization, we reply, since it is only through organization that our scattered immigrants can be unified. Only organized work will enable us to channel their concerns so that individual efforts (on Poland's behalf) will not be wasted, but rather consolidated for the good of the Fatherland... Having become morally and patriotically uplifted by the fact that we have unified ourselves, the major task before a Polish organization must be to help our people attain a good standard of living in America. For when the masses of Poles in America, simply by their very presence in the country, reflect the good name of Poland to all whom they meet, they will be providing an enormously important service to Poland, In time, this service will be even greater as Poles begin to exert influence upon the political life of the United States ...

Andrzejkowicz and his colleagues appealed publicly for support for their Alliance. In September 1880, some of those who responded met in Chicago, Illinois where they held the Alliance's first convention [Sejm]. There they approved a constitution and elected Max Kucera (1840-1904), a participant in the 1863 uprising residing in Chicago, to be the first president and chief executive of the new PNA. Andrzejkowicz was chosen to hold the office of "censor," This unique post combined the duties of a supreme judge with those of a chaplain. The latter role was significant in that the PNA from the outset was an organization open to all persons, regardless of their religious tradition, who originated from the old Polish-Lithuanian state that had been partitioned in the 18th century.

The first PNA constitution called for the organization to work to bring about Poland's independence "by whatever peaceful means possible." But, the document also included a program emphasizing a concern for the betterment of the mushrooming Polish immigration This was not only in accord with what Giller and his fellow exiles had advised, significantly, it bore great similarity to the rationale of the one already existing fraternal society in this country, the Polish Roman Catholic Union in America that had ]been founded in 1873. The founding aims of the PNA were:

"To lay a proper foundation for the construction of institutions (settlement houses, schools, reading rooms, shelters for the sick, and even Polish-owned businesses) dedicated to the material and moral advancement of the Polish immigration in America, by creating a permanent fund under the control of the Alliance ... To care for the needs of the Polish immigration in America ... To strengthen the immigrants politically as American citizens by setting upon a Polish newspaper and to make contacts with the American press in defense of Polish concerns ... To commemorate anniversaries that honor the Polish homeland ... To promote moderation in the consumption of alcohol ... To establish a system of burial insurance for its members."

The Alliance restated its ideological mission in 1913 when it adopted a preamble to its constitution. This statement has been retained, with but a few changes in wording. Thus, the PNA committed itself to "form a more perfect union of the Polish people in America with the rest of the citizenry of the United States and to transmit this relationship to future generations to insure to them a proper moral, intellectual, economic and social development; to foster and cherish the best traditions of the cultures of the United States and of Poland; to preserve the mother tongue, and to promote all legitimate means leading to the restoration and preservation of the independence of Poland."

In 1996, the PNA stated its aims in its publication, Zgoda as those of "promoting the material and civic betterment of its members, who may be of Polish birth or ancestry or of other cultural backgrounds, by offering high quality life insurance and annuity products to help them realize their financial objectives and to enhance the security of their loved ones, by providing them with a variety of valued fraternal benefits, by assisting people in need whether or not they belong to the PNA by cherishing patriotism and civic involvement in American life, and by instilling a wider and deeper appreciation of the Polish heritage in the United States."

PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES: From the start, PNA activists sought to lead the immigration on behalf of Polish independence, While their efforts to unite the community under their banner were initially unsuccessful, the PNA persevered in this effort in its first thirty years of existence.

In 1887, the PNA, attempted to establish a nationwide fund-raising effort, Skarb Narodowy [Polish National Treasury] on behalf of Poland's independence. In 1891, it organized the first Polish Constitution Day parade in Chicago on the occasion of its centennial so as to generate new interest in Poland's cause. (Since 1904, the parade has been an annual event there). In 1894, an effort by the Polish Roman Catholic Union and its clerical allies to form a nationwide Liga Polska [Polish League] failed because the PNA opposed it as a challenge to its goal of leading the immigration.      

Page 1| 2| 3| 

Back to History Index