Res. No. 420
Title
Resolution declaring November 11 as Polish Independence Day in the city of New York.
Body
By Council Members Holden, Van Bramer, Gjonaj, Ulrich, Vallone and Rivera
Whereas, In 966, Duke Mieszko I, who ruled several Western Slavic tribes, consolidated his power and symbolically created the state of Poland; and
Whereas, In 1025, Boleslaw I, the son of Duke Mieszko I, established the Kingdom of Poland by expanding the region's territory and expanding the influence of Christianity; and
Whereas, The BBC states that up until 1772, Poland went through different regime changes, including being ruled by: the kings from the royal line of Mieszko from 966 to the end of the 14th century, the elected kings of the newly created Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth in the late 1500s, the Polish Golden Age's newly formed democratic monarchy in the 16th century, and outside influences from Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and the Ukraine in the mid-17th century; and
Whereas, The Encyclopedia Britannica indicates that the election of Stanislaw II August Poniatowski in 1764 resulted in political and social reform, which followed in civil war and 3 major partitions of Poland by Russia, Prussia, and Austria; and
Whereas, In 1795, due to the civil war and partitions, an Independent Poland ceased to exist; and
Whereas, After Poland lost its independence, there was a complete lack of public political activity, however, after years had passed, Polish nationalism and the fight for Polish Independence began to grow rapidly; and
Whereas, The Adam Mickiewicz Institute notes that from 1795 to 1918, there were many uprisings and armed protests for Polish Independence, such as the Kosciuszko Insurrection in 1794, the November Insurrection in 1830 and the Uprising of January in 1863; and
Whereas, According to the BBC, from 1864 to 1914, the Polish national movement, in the then-partitioned Poland, shifted focus from armed protest to...
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