[1] James Ambrose was born in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland, in 1811, but grew up in London's East End, becoming a prizefighter at an early age.

After serving eight years building roads, he was granted a ticket of leave and settled in the Rocks area of Sydney, considered the most dangerous waterfront in the world.

[2] On 2 February 1841, Sullivan defeated Hammer Lane in Crookham Common for the Middleweight Championship of England in a nineteen round bout, taking 34 minutes.

After first arriving in America, Sullivan fought Vincent Hammond on 2 September 1841 at League Island near Philadelphia, winning in eight short rounds which took a total of only ten minutes.

[8] Sullivan met Tom Hyer, a native New Yorker of Dutch heritage, at a fine restaurant at the corner of New York's Broadway and Park Place, early in 1849.

[9] According to one source, Sullivan was a bit of a ruffian and petty criminal when he was boxing in London during his early fighting days, and was sent to a British penal colony in Australia to serve time.

Opposing political factions often made up gangs and expressed their animosity using warfare in the streets, on occasion taking over balloting places to secure their candidates would win.

The match went 16 rounds at Still Pond Creek, a cold and snowy outdoor arena on the East Maryland shore, ten miles below Poole's Island where the fight was originally planned.

According to the Milwaukee Sentinel, writing the day after the fight, once Sullivan was exhausted, Hyer caught his head under his arm before he could fall in the 15th, and punched him repeatedly.

Hope Hospital where he was treated for his injured arm, badly blackened eyes and a slight skull fracture, but released the following day.

Much of the way back from Chesapeake Bay to New York, Hyer was greeted and cheered by large crowds that lined the streets of cities and towns, for parades of victory.

[5] This was a widely publicized boxing match at the time and helped to ignite the sport's popularity, despite the bout being illegal in Maryland, and clearly a brutal affair.

Preserving his strength, Sullivan was far more frequently the first to fall, usually intentionally, to end rounds, which was entirely legal by London Prize Ring Rules.

After Casey gunned down James King of William for exposing his criminal past, the San Francisco Vigilance Movement seized power in the city.

After four days in jail, he was found with his wrist slit, apparently having committed suicide, although reports suggested for years afterwards that he had been murdered by Vigilantes or by other individuals who were worried about repercussions should Sullivan confess what he knew about corrupt political figures.