Portal:Chicago/Selected article/60
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The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 was a major racial conflict that began in Chicago, Illinois on July 27, 1919 and ended on August 3. During the riot, dozens died and hundreds were injured. It is considered to be the worst of the approximately 25 riots during the Red Summer of 1919, so named because of the violence and fatalities across the nation. The combination of arson, looting and murder was also the worst race rioting in the history of Illinois. The sociopolitical atmosphere of Chicago was filled with ethnic and racial tension caused by competition among many new groups. With the Great Migration, thousands of African Americans from the South had settled next to ethnic neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side, near jobs in the stockyards and meatpacking plants. Post World War I tensions caused frictions between the races, especially in the competitive labor and housing markets. Overcrowding and increased African American militancy by veterans contributed to the visible racial frictions. Also, ethnic gangs and police neglect strained the racial relationships. According to official reports, the turmoil came to a boil after a young African American was struck by a rock and died at an informally segregated beach. Tensions between groups arose in a melee that blew up into days of unrest. William Hale Thompson was the Mayor of Chicago during the riot and future iconic Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley rose to prominence following the riots although he never officially acknowledged involvement in the violence. United States President Woodrow Wilson and the United States Congress attempted to promote legislation and organizations that would decrease the racial discord in America at the time. Illinois Governor Frank Lowden took several actions at the request of Thompson to quell the riot and promote greater harmony in its aftermath. Several sections of the Chicago economy were shut down for several days during and after the riots. Thompson drew on associations with this riot to influence later political elections.
