Philadelphia nativist riots
In the five months leading to the riots, nativist groups had been spreading a false rumor that Catholics were trying to remove the Bible from public schools.A nativist rally in Kensington erupted in violence on May 6 and started a deadly riot that would result in the destruction of two Catholic churches and numerous other buildings.The riots exposed deficiencies in law enforcement in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts, influencing various reforms in local police departments and the eventual consolidation of the city in 1854.[3] Historian Elizabeth Geffen states: these new arrivals, impoverished, unskilled, and Catholic, immediately confronted an ancient enemy, the Protestant Scotch-Irish, longtime resident in Philadelphia, proud of their "in" status, mostly skilled workers, and ready, eager, and able to renew the political, economic, social, and religious feuds of the old country.[4]Alarmed by the rising Catholic population, Protestants and native-born Americans started organizing anti-Catholic and nativist groups.[7][8] As a result, the Board of Controllers ordered that no child should be forced to participate in religious activities and stated that children were allowed to read whichever version of the Bible their parents wished.Nativists further inflamed hostile feelings towards Catholics by reportedly twisting Kenrick's requests to the Board of Controllers as an attack against the Bible used in Protestant devotionals."[8] Historian David Montgomery argues that the Irish Catholic Democrats in the city had successfully appealed to the upper-class Whig leadership.The Whigs wanted to split the Democratic coalition, so they approved Bishop Kenrick's request that Catholic children be allowed to use their own Bible.When violence erupted in a district, the time-consuming process involved the constable summoning the county sheriff Morton McMichael, who would organize a posse.The violence did not end until the local state militia, commanded by General George Cadwalader, arrived and dispersed the crowd.[15] During the riots, at least fourteen were killed, an estimated fifty people were injured, two hundred fled their homes, and damage totaled $150,000.However, in its June 18 report, a grand jury blamed an imperfect response by law enforcement and the Irish Catholics for the riots, stating that the outbreak of violence was due to "the efforts of a portion of the community to exclude the Bible from the public schools" and the disruption of legitimate meetings by immigrants.The American Republican Party issued a statement blaming Mayor Scott, the sheriff, and the civil authorities for the riots.Major General Robert Patterson, commander of the Pennsylvania militia, put the troops on alert in case of violence.The sheriff, an alderman, and seventeen nativists entered the church and found three armed men, fifty-three muskets, ten pistols, a keg of gunpowder and ammunition.By the morning of July 7, most of the soldiers had left, but the crowds, led by an alderman and the sheriff, returned and demanded that the remaining guard release Naylor.[8][16] Under Governor Porter's orders, state troops continued to arrive in the city in the days afterward, but no further violence took place.The difficulty of quelling the riots and other crime led 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.[24] After the riots, Bishop Kenrick ended his efforts to influence the public education system and began encouraging the creation of Catholic schools, with 17 being founded by 1860.
PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaAnti-CatholicismAnti-Irish sentimentNativismInstabilityPennsylvania State MilitiaDavid R. PorterRobert PattersonKensingtonSouthwarkanti-CatholicIrish CatholicnativistCatholicsconsolidation of the city in 1854EuropeIrelandGermanyCatholicProtestant versionFrancis KenrickDavid MontgomeryAmerican Republican PartyAmerican "Know-Nothing" PartyKensington DistrictIrish CatholicsSisters of CharitywatchmensheriffMorton McMichaelGeorge CadwaladerSt. Augustine's Catholic ChurchJohn Morin ScottsteepleGerman Catholicgrand jurySouthwark DistrictNative American PartyIndependence DayarsenalmusketsFrankford ArsenalaldermenpistolsgunpowderGeneral George CadwaladercannonsCharles Naylorcaptain1844 U.S. Presidential electionDemocratic PartyWhig PartyNew York CityJohn HughesNew York would be another Moscow.battalionregimentPennsylvania General AssemblyMoyamensingSpring GardenNorthern LibertiesPhiladelphia police forcefriarsOrder of St. AugustineAugustus PleasontonList of incidents of civil unrest in the United StatesLombard Street riot1964 Philadelphia race riotPhiladelphia Election riotLewis Charles LevinPeixotto, Ernest C.McCusker, J. J.American Antiquarian SocietyBalmer, RandallThe Tabletcivil unrestin the history of the United StatesColonial era1776–1789Massachusetts1689 Boston revoltBoston bread riotKnowles RiotLiberty affairBoston MassacreShays' RebellionNew YorkLeisler's RebellionNew York Slave Revolt of 1712New York Conspiracy of 1741Battle of Golden Hill1788 doctors' riotNorth CarolinaCulpeper's RebellionCary's RebellionWar of the RegulationBattle of AlamancePennsylvania Mutiny of 1783VirginiaGloucester County ConspiracyBacon's RebellionChesapeake rebellionPlundering TimeProtestant RevolutionStono RebellionGaspee affairPine Tree Riot1789–1849Honey WarBellevue WarUrsuline Convent riotsAbolition Riot of 1836Broad Street RiotEggnog riotNew York anti-abolitionist riotsFlour riot of 1837Anti-Rent WarAstor Place Riot1792 Cincinnati riotCincinnati riots of 1829Cincinnati riots of 1836Cincinnati riots of 1841Whiskey RebellionFries's RebellionPhiladelphia race riot