The Striker's Independent Society (SIS) is the oldest continuously active

mystic society A mystic society is a Mardi Gras social organization in Mobile, Alabama, that presents parades and/or balls for the enjoyment of its members, guests, and the public. The New Orleans Krewe is patterned after Mobile's Mystics."Carnival/Mobile Mardi ...

in Mobile, founded in 1843 (during Mobile's first American period),

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. Mobile's Mardi Gras history spans over 300 years, as customs changed with the ruling nations: Mobile was the capital of French Louisiana in 1702, then British in 1763, then Spanish in 1780, entered the Republic of Alabama, was declared American in 1812 (captured in 1813), a U.S. state in 1819, then Confederate in 1860, then became American again in 1865 and participated in

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

during

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...

and New Year's Day celebrations. It is the oldest remaining mystic society in America but no longer hosts an annual parade. {{cite web , url=http://www.museumofmobile.com/html/mardi_gras_timeline.php , title=Carnival/Mobile Mardi Gras Timeline , publisher=Museum of Mobile , accessdate=2006-07-02

History

The ''Strikers Independent Society'' was formed initially by young men in Mobile who had been refused membership to the older Cowbellion de Rakin Society (which had been formed in year 1830 by "more sedate and astute men of the city"). In the beginning, it was designated as a bachelor-only society, and if a member married, then they were out of the society. The Strikers, like the Cowbellions, paraded only on New Year's Eve and held their ball on New Year's Day. In 1852, they became the first mystic society to hold a ball at the

Battle House Hotel The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa, is a historic hotel in Mobile, Alabama. The current structure was built in 1908 as the Battle House Hotel. It is the second hotel by that name to stand in this location, replacing an earlier Batt ...

. By 1881, the Strikers Independent Society had discontinued their annual street parades, but continued to hold a grand ball on New Year's Eve, though in 1884, they paraded once more. In 1902, their theme was "Colonial Mobile" celebrating the bicentennial of Mobile's founding (1702). Members wore costumes representing the French, British, Spanish, and American periods of Mobile's history. The Stikers 65th Ball

Offshoots in New Orleans

Just as

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

became the capital of

French Louisiana The term French Louisiana ( ; ) refers to two distinct regions: * First, to Louisiana (New France), historic French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by Early Modern France, France during the 17th and 18th ...

(''Louisianne'') about twenty years (1723) after Mobile (1702), the mystic societies of

were created by Mobile society members about 20 years after the original Mobile societies had been founded: * 1850: Joseph Ellison, a Mobile Cowbellion, is one of six Mobilians who moved to New Orleans and organized the Crescent City's first mystic societies; Ellison forms "The

Mistick Krewe of Comus The Mistick Krewe of Comus (MKC), founded in 1856, is the oldest extant New Orleans, Louisiana Carnival Krewe, the longest to continually parade with few interruptions from 1856 to 1991, and continues to hold a tableau ball for its members and g ...

" in New Orleans (1850). * 1870: Sidney Smith, the son of a Striker (in Mobile), organized the "

Twelfth Night Revelers The Twelfth Night Revelers (TNR), founded in 1870, is a New Orleans, Louisiana, Carnival Krewe. It is the second oldest continuous organization of New Orleans Carnival festivities. History and formation In 1870, Sidney Smith, the son of a St ...

" in New Orleans, nearly 30 years after the Strikers Independent Society was formed in Mobile. The other mystic societies had a reciprocal effect in Mobile from New Orleans, when they paraded in 1865 while Mobile parades had been discontinued due to the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, for they inspired

Joe Cain Joseph Stillwell Cain Jr. (October 10, 1832 – April 17, 1904) was an American Confederate States of America, Confederate military veteran largely credited with initiating the modern way of observing Mardi Gras and its celebrations in Mobil ...

to return to Mobile, in the midst of the Union Army occupation, and revive the Mardi Gras celebration in Mobile, where it had started back in 1703.

Notes and references

Secret societies in the United States Carnival and Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama Organizations established in 1843 1843 establishments in Alabama Organizations based in Alabama

History

Offshoots in New Orleans

See also

Notes and references