1879 Born the 6th child of Daniel MacLean and Anne MacPhee on 24th August
1887 Father dies
1900 Began teaching career
1903 Joined Social Democratic Federation
1906 Founded Pollockshaws branch of SDF
1908 Begins weekly evening classes in industrial history, Marxist economics, and histories of the Trade Union and Co-operative movements. Classes were to continue until his 1915 imprisonment
1909 Married to Agnes Wood
1915 Nov- Sentenced to 5 days imprisonment under DORA
Dismissed from his job as a teacher by Govan School Board. This was to be MacLean's last period of employment. On his last day MacLean was taken from the classroom at Lorne St School and carried shoulder high to the Sheriff Court by a contingent of shipyard workers from the Govan yards to address a crowd of 10,000 who had gathered to protest at rent-rises.
1916 April- Jailed and charged under DORA with sedition. Sentenced to 3 years Pe nal Servitude, i.e. hard labour
1917 May c.100, 000 gather on Glasgow Green to show opposition to Lloyd George been given the freedom of the city and demand the release of MacLean.
June. Authorities release MacLean in face of mass protests.
Nov. Appointed an Honorary President of the first All-Russian Congress of So viets
1918 Organises International Women's Protection League to raise funds for relief of Russian women and children. Chief Speaker of the Hands off Russia cam paign.
Jan. Appointed Bolshevik Consul for Glasgow
May. Tried for sedition. Gives his famous Speech from the Dock. Sentenced to 5 yrs penal servitude.
Dec. Threat from Clydeside workers forces the Government to release
MacLean early.
1919 Begins organizing mass meetings of the unemployed getting up to 3,500 to at tend twice weekly lessons in Marxist theory and economics as part of the Un employed Movement.
Joins Ruairidh Erskine's 'National Committee' to press for independence.
1920 Leaves BSP
Issues call for a Scottish Communist Republic (later Scottish Workers' Repub lic)
Resurrects the banned publication Vanguard
Starts the Hands of Ireland Campaign
Formed the Tramp Trust Unlimited, who campaigned around the Fighting Pro gramme outlined in Vanguard
Joins SLP and attempts to push for a separate Scottish Communist Party within the terms of Lenin's 21 Points.
Founder of Scots National League
1921 May- Imprisoned for 3 months for sedition. Accorded political status after threatening to hunger strike.
Oct- Imprisoned for 1 year.
1923 Forms Scottish Workers Republican Party after attempts to influence SLP to form a Scottish section of the International movement eventually failed. This move would have been made earlier had it not been for the continued persecu tion of MacLean by the authorities.
Dies aged only 44 on St. Andrew's Day (30th Nov) from pneumonia.
