The Free and Rowdy Party was a political party that operated in Atlanta, Georgia, during the middle of the 19th century. Although the mayoral elections of Atlanta are not contested along party lines, the first three mayors of the city were ''Rowdies'', as members of the Free and Rowdy Party were called. They included

Moses Formwalt Moses W. Formwalt (1820 – May 26, 1852) was the first mayor of the city of Atlanta, which was then in DeKalb County, Georgia. Atlanta was chartered in December 1847 (the name had been changed from Marthasville in December 1845), and the first ...

Benjamin Bomar Benjamin Franklin Bomar (August 9, 1816 – February 1, 1868) was the second mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Bomar was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to Reverend Thomas Bomar and Elizabeth Carlton High and studied medicine in Charleston. He p ...

, and

Willis Buell Willis (or Wyllys) Buell (1790 – November 1851) was a native of Connecticut and third mayor of Atlanta. He was the first Justice of the Peace of the 1026th militia district and was said to be a talented portrait painter. He was a member of th ...

, each serving one year as per the city charter. The ''Rowdies'' included many owners of distilleries, bars and brothels, and represented most of what the city was, especially as an outpost along the railroads. They existed in direct opposition to the Moral Party, which called for temperance and chastity. The two parties were also said to differ on approaches to civil engagement, and so where the ''Rowdies'' were the party of militant disorder, the Moral Party promoted law and order. Atlanta's fourth Mayor,

Jonathan Norcross Jonathan Norcross (April 18, 1808 – December 18, 1898) was elected in 1850 as the fourth Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, serving the customary term at the time of one year. Dubbed the "Father of Atlanta" and "hard fighter of everything" by publi ...

, was a member of the Moral Party, and used city hall to so harass the ''Rowdies'' that many moved out of what was then incorporated into the city, to places like Snake Nation and

Murrell's Row Murrell's Row was a red-light district of Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton ...

References

* * Government of Atlanta History of Atlanta {{Atlanta-stub