The Ghadar Party, often considered the beginning of the 20th century Indian independence movement, crystallized in May 1913 at a meeting in Astoria's Finnish Socialist Hall. This revolutionary political movement was driven by the Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims of the South Asian Indian community spanning British Columbia to California. They wished to free India from British rule, and Ghadar became an international anti-colonial resistance movement. The ethnic persecution and mob violence they experienced fueled their movement for justice, as did the ideals of Western democracy. Though Ghadar was unsuccessful at the time, the meetings here helped set in motion the events that finally led to self-governance and freedom.