Philadelphia Nativist Riots

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The Philadelphia Nativist Riots (also known as the Philadelphia prayer riots of 1844, the Bible riots and the Native American riots) were a series of riots that took place between May 3 and May 8 and July 6 and July 7, 1844 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and its suburbs. The riots involved conflicts between nativists and recent Irish Catholic immigrants. The May riots began in Kensington after tensions had risen after anti-Catholic groups began spreading misinformation that Catholics were trying to remove the Bible from public schools. The July riots began in Southwark after a Catholic church armed itself for protection. Both riots resulted in loss of life and property damage.

Contents 1 Background 2 May riot 3 July riot 4 Aftermath 5 References

[edit] Background

During the 1840s schools in Philadelphia began the day with reading the Protestant version of the Bible. On November 10, 1842 Philadelphia's Roman Catholic bishop, Francis Kenrick, wrote a letter to the board of controllers of public schools, asking that Catholic children be allowed to use the Douai version of the Bible and be excused from other religious teaching while at school.^[1]

In the months following the first letter to the board of controllers anti-Catholic groups twisted Kenrick's requests into an attack against the Bible.^[2] Anti-Catholic and nativist groups formed meetings in various lots and halls, raising sectarian and nativist anger against the mostly Irish Catholics immigrants.

[edit] May riot

On May 3, 1844 the nativist group, the American Republican Party, held a meeting in a mostly Irish part of Kensington, what was then a suburb of Philadelphia. A group of Irish attacked the platform the speakers were on and the nativists retreated.^[2] On May 6 the nativists returned this time in greater numbers. When it began to rain the meeting moved to a nearby market where the inflammatory remarks continued. There fighting broke out. The mob eventually attacked a schoolhouse, but was repulsed by locals. Several people died in the fighting.^[3]

The next day, on May 7, the nativist groups called on Americans to defend themselves from "the bloody hand of the Pope".^[4] The nativists returned to Kensington and fighting broke out again. The Hibernia fire station, thirty Irish homes and a market were destroyed by fire. The crowd only dispersed once the local militia arrived. Bishop Kenrick issued a statement telling Catholics not to resort to violence and when the rioting continued on May 8 it was dominated by Protestants and nativists.^[3] Rioters burned down St. Michael's Catholic Church and rectory, the Seminary of the Sisters of Charity, and several homes before soldiers arrived and the fire was contained. At the same time another group of rioters had congregated within Philadelphia itself. Mayor John Morin Scott had stationed troops near St. Augustine's Church, but the rioters ignored them and burned down the building, cheering when the steeple fell. A nearby school with a collection of rare books was burned as well.^[5] An estimated fifty people were injured, 200 hundred fled their homes and damage totaled US$150,000.^[2]

In the days afterward, Mayor Scott set up a force to protect Catholic churches and Bishop Kenrick ordered all churches to be closed the following Sunday to avoid any provocation. Valuables were also removed from the churches and hidden in homes for safekeeping. A grand jury blamed the Irish Catholics for the riots, stating the outbreak of violence was due to "the efforts of a portion of the community to exclude the Bible from the public schools." ^[6]

[edit] July riot

The growing Native American Party, another nativist political party, held a parade on Independence Day. Fearing violence, St. Philip Neri's Church in Southwark applied for an arsenal that a volunteer company would use in case the church was attacked. Governor David Porter approved the request and the church was armed. The news that the church had armed itself roused a great deal of anger and the sheriff removed the guns from the church the morning after the parade.^[7]

The removal of the arms did not quell the anger and on July 6 a mob had gathered outside the church. The local militia guarded the building, but by the early morning of July 7 rioters had forced the militia to withdraw and had taken over the church. The militia then began to try to clear the rioters off of nearby Queen Street. The rioters fought back shooting at the militia from the crowd and buildings. Three cannons were taken from a nearby ship and used against the soldiers. The militia also brought in two cannons. The fighting ended around midnight after the state militia arrived and forced the rioters to disperse.^[8] An estimated 5,000 militia were used to quell the violence, and fifteen people were killed and fifty were injured.^[2]

[edit] Aftermath

On July 11, 1844 Philadelphia passed an ordinance that gave the city a battalion of artillery, a regiment of infantry and at least one full troops of horse for the purpose of providing the preservation of peace within the city when necessary. The difficulty of quelling the riots and other crime led to the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass an 1845 act that required Philadelphia, the township of Moyamensing and the unincorporated districts of Spring Garden, Northern Liberties, and Penn to maintain a police force of one man per 150 taxable inhabitants. In 1850 another act was passed that established that the Philadelphia police force would police the city and seven surrounding districts. The inability to effectively maintain order in Philadelphia's suburbs would be an important argument for the consolidation of the city in 1854.^[9]

[edit] References