The Roaring Twenties ushers in an age of excess and rampant stock market speculation. The Montreal office seems to have approved the idea, and to have advanced Booth some seed money to organize the plot. Unionists in Texas claimed that the K.G.C. Later, during the 1850s, businessman Armstrong would expand his empire by opening a downtown insurance firm that specialized in insuring ships cargoes. The Origin of the OrderSouthern Rights' Clubsthe African Slave Trade and the acquisition of new Slave Territorythe first Organization in 1834, and its successthe Mexican War, and the South's interest in itProgress of the Slave Trade up to 1852Acquisition of Cuba, Repeal of the Missouri Compromise, Nicaragua Expeditions, etc . Though the theory is murky and evidence is thin, there is also speculation that the Ku Klux Klan was borne out of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Is the Knights of the Golden Circle real? Unfortunately for the Knights, however, the tensions around slavery would come to a head in 1861 when the Southern Confederate States went to war with the Northern Union States in the Civil War, making their goals impossible to achieve. With the early 1900s death of Thomas Armstrong, the man likely responsible for the stash of coins found on-site at The Fountain Hotel in 1870, no one is left who was originally involved with the burial of the coins in the cellar at the treasure house on South Eden. The banking panic of 1907 comes and goes. played a role in reducing the vote for Constitutional Unionists (see CONSTITUTIONAL UNION PARTY) in November 1860 and in keeping Unionist voters from the polls when the state held a referendum on secession in February 1861. Then, as Booth and his henchmen planned for yet another attempt at seizing Lincoln and holding him hostage, Union forces succeeded in surrounding Richmond. As early as the mid-1830s, Southern rights groups cropped up to promote slavery. outdoor artificial palm trees; World War One devastates Europe. It's clear from David Keehn's study that the Knights of the Golden Circle infiltrated deeply into American political processes by 1861 and widely advocated a pro-slavery expansionist agenda. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Houston, however, regardless of his interest in annexing Mexico to the United States, could not accept the K.G.C.s anti-Union stance and refused to support its schemes. For the past 80+ years it has been assumed that the golden fortune belonged to some unfortunate miser who had passed on without revealing to anyone where the treasure had been stashed. The Knights of the Golden Circle was a pro-slavery secret society founded in the decade before the American Civil War. In late 1863, the Knights of the Golden Circle were reorganized ( sans Bickley) as the Order of American Knights and again, early in 1864, as the Order of the Sons of Liberty, with Clement Vallandigham, the most prominent of the Copperheads, as its supreme commander, dissolved in 1864 after being exposed and members arrested and tried for treason. . Kane would serve over a year in prison. Why did Lincoln jail opponents of the war? He later increased his claims to 115,000, but such numbers were widely dismissed as fanciful. I dont know what their designs are. The K.G.C. Before the American Civil War, which would decisively end slavery in the United States, the Knights focused on invading and annexing Mexico. His case galvanized abolitionists in the North. European colonialism and dependence on slavery had declined more rapidly in some countries than others. However, once the seat of power was secured, a furious Lincoln dispatched Union troops to seize Baltimore at night and occupy the Charm City for the remainder of the war. One of the angry Baltimoreans who joined the K.G.C. Various clandestine actions were undertaken . Simon Sinek's Golden Circle encourages you to 'start with why' for a purpose-driven approach to business, marketing and life. Sam Houston, who reportedly became an initiate. Knights of the Golden Circle. Some sources even connect Abraham Lincolns assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and the infamous folk outlaw Jesse James, to the secret society. After seeing no immediate profit, he backed out of the operation, losing most of his savings. connections with the Knights of the Golden Circle and each asking for a substantial cash gift in return for securing the son's release. The Knights of the Golden Circle gain power in the American South and industrialise the area during the 1850 and 1860s, They increase their autonomy and then instead of engaging in civil war with the north they invade and/or unite with various slave holding powers in the Caribbean. Templar Knights. [12] On February 15, 1861, Ben McCulloch, United States Marshal and former Texas Ranger, began marching toward the Federal arsenal at San Antonio, Texas, with a cavalry force of about 550 men, about 150 of whom were Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) from six castles. Along with a series of secret hand gestures, these tickets were supposed to protect the horses and other possessions of ticket holders from seizure by invading Confederate soldiers. had its beginnings in the formation of Southern Rights Clubs in various southern cities in the mid-1830s. Although . [11], With the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, the Texas KGC changed its emphasis from a plan to expand U.S. territory into Mexico in order to focus its efforts on providing support for the Southern States' secession from the Union. had been created and, therefore, ended its life. The sum of these treasures has been figured at about $2 million in the 19th century, which would make the mythic gold worth as much as $160 million today. Wikimedia CommonsDred Scott in 1857. Some supported slavery and others were worried about the power of the federal government. sought to keep Lincoln from getting to the White House, even if it meant assassinating him on his ride to the inauguration in Washington, D.C. in 1861. Know Before You Go. These clubs were inspired by the philosophies of John C. Calhoun (1782-1850). The KGC held numerous peace meetings. decided to send undercover New York City detectives to Baltimore to root out the conspiracy. California became a free state, slavery in Utah and New Mexico territories would be determined by popular sovereignty, and the slave trade in Washington, D.C. was dissolved. Knights of the Golden Circle made post-war "appearance" During the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign dozens of Confederate soldiers, including generals Jubal Early and J.E.B. The Order of the Golden Circle is the womens auxiliary of the United Supreme Council, 33, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc. Golden Circle is an alternative perspective to existing assumptions about why some leaders and organizations have achieved such a disproportionate degree of influence. During the course of the war, from neutral territory, Kane and his cohorts would orchestrate multiple attacks against the Union such as fire bombings, train derailments, and even bank robberies. [8] The plan was to prevent Lincoln from reaching Washington by capturing him in Baltimore. Milligan, they were imprisoned for their activities. Seasoned scholars will find new ground trod here, particularly regarding the origins of the Knights. Time went on, the fortune in coins being forgotten. The OLS operated as something of an unofficial army which took it upon itself to invade South American countries and forcibly take control of them for the sake of America. As the Knights of the Golden Circle was a very well-funded organization, the Spanish government was to be approached to buy Cuba first. [6], Hounded by creditors, Bickley left Cincinnati in the late 1850s and traveled through the East and South, promoting an armed expedition to Mexico. The war ended in Spring, 1865. as Lincoln was ascending to power was a hot-blooded young thespian named John Wilkes Booth. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It was concentrated in the Deep South, on large plantations devoted to the commodity crops of cotton and sugar cane, but it was the basis of agricultural and other labor throughout the southern states. His plot was discovered, and led to greater distrust of secret societies and Copperheads in general. So did 39 very heavy barrels (9,000 pounds total) filled with Mexican silver coins, the profits from the sale of Confederate cotton. The convention confirmed Bickley as leader and published a lengthy address to the people of the southern states that remains the most reliable statement of the K.G.C.s organization and goals. K.G.C. Leaders of the Democratic Party opposed to Abraham Lincoln's administration denounced the draft and other wartime measures, such as the arrest of seditious persons and the president's temporary suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Like many other secretive societies, the K.G.C. Abraham Lincoln sent his secretary, John Hay, to investigate. They also unite with Mexico and the rest of Central America. However, this dream of the Golden Circle would never be realized. According to Sinek's theory, many of us think from the outside inwhat > how > why. They decided to hire Allan Pinkerton and his Pinkerton Detective Agency to spy on the Baltimore conspirators. And if that drastic plan failed, the K.G.C. (currently published under the title of Rebel Gold ISBN 978-0-7432-1969-3) Hicks, Jimmie (July 1961). Perrine, 1861 . Many Knights of the Golden Circle fought for the Confederacy, including Bickley himself, who participated as an army surgeon before his capture for espionage and subsequent death in 1867. Get A Copy . 12What is the Golden Circle model of leadership? Booth had lived on Exeter Street and is said to have been inducted into the K.G.C. The Circle On July 4, 1854, George Bickley founded the "Knights of the Golden Circle" in Lexington, Kentucky, to promote the goal of a Slave Empire composed of Mexico, Central America, and. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret military organization created in 1859 by George W. L. Bickley in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cassandra Morris Small letters, York County (PA) Heritage Trust files. Find out more amazing stories of Civil War-era America, from John Wilkes Booths supposed sex addiction, to Harriet Tubmans never-before-seen photo. Omissions? Copperheads Fernando Wood, former Democratic mayor of New York City, and Clement L. Vallandigham of Ohio were reputed to be the chief officers. In the mid 19th century United States, a group of Southern men known as the Knights of the Golden Circle subscribed to a similar philosophy. In response to the increased anti-slavery agitation that followed the Dred Scott decision (1857) the Knights changed their position: the Southern United States should secede, forming their own confederation, and then invade and annex the area of the Golden Circle to vastly expand the power of the South. Milligan, they were imprisoned for their activities. activity circulated for a few more years, but there is no dependable evidence that the organization survived the war in any meaningful way. The legend of this ill-gotten treasure lives on perhaps most strikingly in a man named Bob Brewer, who believes his ancestors may have hidden the gold in Arkansas and has since devoted his lifes work to finding it. The Knights of the Golden Circle or KGC were a secret society during the American Civil War period. All were squashed, foiled, or fell apart before being launched. American Civil War/End dates https://www.tshaonline.org, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/knights-of-the-golden-circle. It was created directly out of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and linked to the highest circles of American Freemasons. The Knights of the Golden Circle was a pro-slavery secret society founded in the decade before the American Civil War. soon found a new enemy to oppose. by | Jun 3, 2022 | james carone florida energy | when a man criticizes another woman | Jun 3, 2022 | james carone florida energy | when a man criticizes another woman Frank L. Klement, Dark Lanterns: Secret Political Societies, Conspiracies, and Treason Trials in the Civil War (1984). This keeps us from unlocking our full potential. A successor organization, the Sons of Liberty, was alleged to have taken its place. George W. L. Bickley was one such man. Library of Congress via Getty Images. The contradiction severely weakened the partys chances to defeat Lincoln. The group is said to have included men such as Albert Pike, John Wilkes Booth (assassin of President Abraham Lincoln . In the decade leading up to the Civil War, a fledgling group called the Knights of the Golden Circle joined forces with a well-establish Southern society known as the Order of the Lone Star.The Knights were the brainchild of George W.L. Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. Led by Americas Southern upper class, this empire would create a worldwide monopoly on tobacco, sugar, and cotton. It became strongest among Copperheads, who were Democrats who wanted to end the Civil War via settlement with the South. One of his first moves in office would be to appoint his longtime friend Charles Webb as tax collector for the city. Several members of President James Buchanan's administration were members of the order,[8] as well as Virginia's secessionist Senator James M. National Archives CatalogSeal of the President of the Knights of the Golden Circle. http://knightsofthegoldencircle.webs.com/ Reactions:Wallyfish, damYankee, Deleted User CSand 18 others donna George Washington Lafayette Bickley is often referred to as a Cincinnati Conman as he tried to pass for a medical doctor in the alternative field of electric medicine but he was discovered to be without a degree. Proudly powered by WordPress | ark astrocetus how to use hyperdrive. In 1846, it was revealed that Junius Booth had neglected to divorce his first wife before eloping with his second, Mary Ann, 25 years before. create an atmosphere of conspiracy, of claims and charges that cannot be proven true but cannot be proven untrue either. convention held in 1860, the organization was originated at Lexington, Kentucky, on the fourth day of July 1854, by five gentlemen who came together on a call made by Gen. George Bickley. Bickley then occupied himself with other projects during the mid-1850s, and the K.G.C. He even served as a consultant to the 2007 movie, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which touches on this legend. The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret military organization created in 1859 by George W. L. Bickley in Cincinnati, Ohio. A few agitators, some of them encouraged by Southern money, talked of a revolt in the Old Northwest, with the goal of ending the war. ), a secretive organization created in 1854, proposed to establish a slaveholding empire encompassing the southern United States, the West Indies, Mexico, and parts of Central America. The Knights of the Golden Circle emerged in 1858 when a secret society formed by a Cincinnati businessman merged with the pro-expansionist Order of the Lone Star, which already had 15,000. With the abolition of slavery and the reintegration of the Southern United States into the Union, the Knights of the Golden Circle lost any popularity they mightve had. . [1]:102104 The Secretary of War, John Floyd and of Treasury, Howell Cobb, were members of the circle, in addition to Vice President John Breckenridge. Though there were rumors that the Knights were involved in the infamous Confederate incursion known as Morgans Raid, which garnered some 2,000 men to draw out Union troops in Ohio and Indiana, these are not substantiated. This short gives us comments from the Wibberlys, Cage, The Mysterious and Secret Order of the Knights of the Golden Circle author Dr. Roy Roush, Rebel Gold author Warren Getler, and actor Christian Camargo. The KGC's proposal grew out of previous unsuccessful proposals to annex Cuba (Ostend Manifesto), parts of Central America (Filibuster War), and all of Mexico (All of Mexico Movement). The free labor of slaves propped up the Souths economy and indeed, as an 1860 census showed, the region exploited the free labor of around three to four million slaves. The "golden trail" refers to the Ten Commandments, but Russell says . In 1859 George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, launched a fraternal order which proposed the establishment of military colonies of Americans in Mexico. True to his word, Kane rounded up a party of rebels that evening to burn bridges and tear up the track leading from the North. members also sought to add new slaveholding territories through the peculiar 19th-century institution known as filibustering. When Texas was annexed from Mexico by slave-owning Americans and added to the Union as a newly minted slave state, other Southerners saw an entrepreneurial opportunity of immeasurable proportions. For this reason, it is best to acquire information on as many as possible, research them in advance, and pick the most likely ones out before going out into the field. The scene of the confrontation and following riot began at the foot of Concord Street, in front of the offices of James Armstrong & Associates, where Armstrong, Saulsbury, and Webb were all employed. has drawn the interest of numerous investigators who claim that it was a vast conspiracy that drew inspiration from groups such as the European Knights Templar, Scottish Rite Masons, and the Sons of Liberty. And in a declining inner-city neighborhood not far from the sometimes rough-and-tumble Depression-era Baltimore docks, two bored adolescent boys decide to go exploring in a dark corner of the basement of a crumbling tenement house. knights of the golden circle still exist. During this time, the pro-slavery South and the anti-slavery North wanted to expand their borders and create new states aligned with their respective causes. In late May 1864, Booth invested in an oil company in western Pennsylvania. ), a secretive organization created in 1854, proposed to establish a slaveholding empire encompassing the southern United States, the West Indies, Mexico, and parts of Central America. . Senate. During this time, the pro-slavery, human-trafficking South and the anti-slavery, "woke" North wanted to expand their borders and create new . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). and at other times to different treasonous groups. In the summer of 1863, Congress authorized a military draft, which the administration soon put into operation. Known as something of a rebel hangout, the establishment had also been the haunt of the young John Wilkes Booth. Centering on Havana, this empire would be some 2,400 miles in diameterhence the name Golden Circle. The overarching goal of Bickleys secret organization was simple, if not a little grandiose: to create a slavery-fueled empire known as the Golden Circle.. In September 1857, Masters and Wardens from those three lodges assembled and organized the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. ), a secretive organization created in 1854, proposed to establish a slaveholding empire encompassing the southern United States, the West Indies, Mexico and parts of Central America. In Baltimore, American Northern Biography reveals , Booth even joined the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secret society against the North, which he did not share with his mother after promising her he would not join any military groups. Ruins stand in front of the Confederate Capitol, circa 1865, in Richmond, Virginia. The featurette offers a quick look at the history behind part of the film's story. Because the New Orleans men disbanded, they could not meet up with another contingency of Knights gathered around the Mexico border later in March 1860. The place they chose to stay, disguising themselves as rebel hotheads, was The Fountain Hotel. The eventual goal of the plan was the annexation of all of Mexico to the United States. The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret society founded in 1854 by American George W. L. Bickley, the objective of which was to create a new country, known as the Golden Circle (Spanish: Crculo Dorado), where slavery would be legal. Some Letters Concerning the Knights of the Golden Circle in Texas, 18601861. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Knights merged with the Order of the Lone Star with the expansionist goal of forming a slave-holding empire that operated like the East India Company by annexing Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and Central America into the United States. This circle of countries would represent the golden circle of the KGC, the knights of the golden circle. Why English language is important for electrical engineering. Inconceivable, right? . But a majority don't focus on why. Ollinger Crenshaw, The Knights of the Golden Circle: The Career of George Bickley, American Historical Review 47 (October . In an angry letter to Seward, Pierce denied that he knew anything about the KGC, and demanded that his letter be made public. The Golden Circle would ensure that the sun never set on the American system of exploitation. That evening, an incensed Marshal Kane, a close friend and political associate of Charles Webb, fired off this incendiary telegraph to the Maryland militia: Streets red with Maryland blood; send expresses over the mountains of Maryland and Virginia for the riflemen to come without delay. While we dont have too much detail on the Knights and their history is mired in rumor, we do know their ultimate goal: to create an empire that would stretch from the Caribbean to the Pacific built on tobacco, cotton, sugar, and the blood and sweat of slaves. [3] In the United States, the new country's northern border would roughly coincide with the MasonDixon line, and within it were included such cities as Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Mexico City, and Panama City. [9], In 1859, future Confederate States Army brigadier general Elkanah Greer established KGC castles in East Texas and Louisiana. The Knights of the Golden Circle really did exist. As Lincolns train and entourage left Springfield, Illinois on its several-day winding journey across the country towards its eventual final stop in Washington, D.C., alarm bells started to go off. Timothy H. OSullivan/U.S. This tension continued throughout the first half of the 19th century, as new territories were added to the United States of America. Gen. Henry Hopkins Sibley on the 1862 New Mexico Campaign, which sought to bring the New Mexico Territory into the Confederate fold. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. More importantly, the Northern states did gradually come to prohibit slavery. During the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign, scam artists in south-central Pennsylvania sold Pennsylvania Dutch farmers $1 paper tickets purported to be from the Knights of the Golden Circle. They often paid with Confederate States dollars or with drafts on the Confederate government. These Knights of the Golden Circle : The Confederate States of America, the Confederacy's defeat in the Second Great War, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. To recap, Charles Webb, a Southern Democrat-sponsored as Grand Master of Maryland Freemasonry by K.G.C. Knights of the Golden Circle, a semi-military secret society that was active in the Midwestern states during the American Civil War. After months of recruiting his team, securing weapons, and preparing an escape route, Booth was ready to act. had an elaborate ritual with codes, signs, and passwords, and complicated plans for its military and governing operations. Bickley, who served as a surgeon in the Confederate Army before being arrested as a spy in Indiana in July 1863 and held until October 1865, died in August 1867. The Knights of theGolden Circle, according to most authorities, ceased its operations in 1916 for two primary reasons. All copyrighted materials included within the Handbook of Texas Online are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. University of CincinnatiGeorge Washington Lafayette Bickley is often referred to as a Cincinnati Conman as he tried to pass for a medical doctor in the alternative field of electric medicine but he was discovered to be without a degree. Mayor Brown and Marshal Kane were soon arrested and thrown into jail without trial. [10] In the spring of 1860, Elkanah Greer had become general and grand commander of 4,000 Military Knights in the KGC's Texas division of 21 castles. The following year, the Knights began publishing their own newspaper and established their headquarters in Washington, D. C. In 1860, during . He feared secession of the Northwest. Lincoln rerouted his troops, but they were delayed in reaching D.C., leaving that city open to attack. Knights were grouped into three divisionsmilitary, commercial and financial, and politicaleach of which was in turn divided into two classes. He sued, unsuccessfully, for the freedom of himself and his family as they were living in the free state of Illinois. Jesse James was now a wealthy man, with enough power and influence to fake his own death-and, with the law hot on his trail, this was undoubtedly a wise move. At a Freemason memorial service for Grand Master Charles Webb, his Masonic brothers recited a poem in his memory a poem written by Albert Pike, the most powerful Freemason of his generation and the long suspected head of the secretive Knights of the Golden Circle. In late 1860, it shifted its focus to supporting the secession movement and intimidating Unionists in the South. The Knights of the Golden Circle emerged around 1858 when a secret society formed by a Cincinnati businessman merged with the pro-expansionist Order of the Lone Star, which already had 15,000 members. Dante The Opera Artists; Dante Virtual Opera; Divine Comedy; About IOT. Charles Webb was also something of a political kingmaker in Baltimore for the Southern Democrats, the party that would oppose Lincoln and promote the continuation of slavery. Due to a lack of funds and a lack of faith in Bickleys leadership, or perhaps a lack of organization as some have speculated, the Knights attempt at annexation fizzled out. In 1859 George Bickley, a freebooter and adventurer, launched a fraternal order which proposed the establishment of military colonies of Americans in Mexico. We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. [18][19][20], In late 1863, the KGC reorganized as the Order of American Knights. In the end, young Henry Grob and Theodore Jones prevailed, with the coins being sold at auction and the proceeds (after expenses) being put into trust until the teens reached age 21. What is the ISBN number for Knights of the Golden Circle? [citation needed], As abolitionism in the United States grew in opposition to slavery, the KGC members proposed a separate confederation of slave states, with U.S. states south of the Mason-Dixon line to secede and to align with other slave states to be formed from the "golden circle". He sketched the symbols . According to one of the few mainstream histories of the organization, . Andrew Saulsbury would one day have yet another grandson, this one named Thomas Armstrong Saulsbury. Kane would be replaced on the Jones Falls Commission by Webb employee Andrew J. Saulsbury, now owner of the home with 5,000 gold coins buried in the basement. U.S. Library of Congress/Getty ImagesRuins stand in front of the Confederate Capitol, circa 1865, in Richmond, Virginia. Although nominally a secret society, the existence of the Knights of the Golden Circle was not, in fact, a secret . 9What is the Order of the Golden Circle? Donald S. Frazier, Blood & Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1996). With the outbreak of the war, however, Republicans charged that Democrats who opposed the conduct of the war were influenced by, or were members of, the Knights. How refers to the process to achieve . Although nominally a secret society, the existence of the Knights of the Golden Circle was not, in fact, a secret.Knights of the Golden Circle. But Brewer has found evidence enough that this legend is based in some reality. did not have the strength attributed to it in such reports. Meanwhile, Colonel Kane was waiting patiently in a remote, out of the way location in rebel-held Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. It amassed billions in stolen gold and silver. The leaders were sentenced to death or imprisonment by military commissions, but the sentences were suspended, and in 1866 the convictions were overturned by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. as the source of the immense treasure, worth more than $10 million dollars in todays economy. This forced Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet to flee via the rail line to Danville. About IOT; The Saillant System; Flow Machine. had its beginnings in the formation of Southern Rights Clubs in various southern cities in the mid-1830s. You must there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that's only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. Not by chance, on South Central Avenue at this time just 4/10th of a mile from Booths home lived a candle and soap company executive named Andrew Saulsbury. April 9, 1865 An Authentic Exposition of the K.G.C. Knights of the Golden Circle, or, A History of Secession from 1834 to 1861, by A Member of the Order (Indianapolis, Indiana: C. O. Perrine, Publisher, 1861). Local chapters were known as castles and by the 1860s, Bickley claimed the group had over 100,000 members, but such numbers are almost certainly exaggerated. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted.
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