▁of ▁community ▁between ▁the ▁group . ▁ ▁Background ▁Chicago ' s ▁rapid ▁growth ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁was ▁largely ▁because ▁of ▁German ▁and ▁Irish ▁Catholic ▁imm igr ants . ▁Chicago ▁was ▁developing ▁into ▁an ▁attract ive ▁opportunity ▁for ▁many ▁imm igr ants . ▁Although ▁the ▁jobs ▁that ▁await ed ▁the ▁imm igr ant ▁were ▁often ▁poor - pay ing ▁w age ▁based ▁positions , ▁opportun ities ▁were ▁often ▁more ▁prom ising ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁their ▁home ▁country . ▁The ▁imm igr ants ▁settled ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁neighborhood s , ▁German ▁imm igr ants ▁con greg ating ▁mainly ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁Side , ▁across ▁the ▁Chicago ▁River ▁from ▁City ▁Hall ▁and ▁the ▁older ▁Protest ant ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁German ▁sett lers ▁worked ▁a ▁six - day ▁week , ▁leaving ▁Sunday ▁as ▁their ▁primary ▁day ▁to ▁social ize ; ▁much ▁social ization ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁ta ver ns ▁that ▁d otted ▁the ▁North ▁Side ▁of ▁Chicago . ▁German - language ▁newsp apers , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Illinois ▁Staats - Ze itung ▁and ▁social ▁movements ▁like ▁the ▁Turn ers ▁and ▁German ▁craft ▁un ions ▁gave ▁the ▁German ▁population ▁of ▁Chicago ▁a ▁high ▁degree ▁of ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁coh es iveness . ▁Additionally , ▁the ▁Fort y - E igh ters ▁among ▁them ▁had ▁previously ▁used ▁demonstr ations ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁tool ▁during ▁the ▁European ▁revolution s ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 8 . ▁ ▁As ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁rest