Baltimore bank riot

The Baltimore bank riot of 1835 in the major port city of Maryland was a violent reaction to the failure of the Bank of Maryland in 1834. Thousands of citizens had lost millions of dollars in savings. The riot, which lasted from 6–9 August, attacked the homes and property of a number of former directors of the bank, who had been accused of financial misconduct and fraud, as well as the federal district courthouse located on Battle Monument Square. The Baltimore bank riot was one of the most violent and destructive events of civic unrest in any American city prior to the Civil War.

Rioters destroyed many of the homes of the city's wealthiest and most prominent citizens, and much valuable property was smashed or burned. but was later restored. The authorities were unable to control the violence and effectively surrendered the city to the mob, which was actively or passively supported by numerous bystanders. The state of Maryland later paid $100,000 in compensation to persons who had lost property in the rioting.

The closure of the Bank of Maryland on 29 March 1834, combined with the failure of other financial institutions, resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in deposits held by individual citizens. The bank's creditors awaited a financial settlement, but after 17 months without a result, many had lost patience. They would soon turn to violence.

On Thursday, August 6, 1835, a small crowd approached bank director and U.S. Senator Reverdy Johnson's (1796-1876) home (previously mansion/townhouse of James Buchanan, built 1799 opposite old Courthouse Square) on Battle Monument Square, on the northwest corner of North Calvert and East Fayette Streets in Baltimore. They broke his windows and left. Anticipating further violence, Mayor of Baltimore Jesse Hunt and other citizens began to guard Johnson's home. A hostile crowd returned on the evening of Friday, August 7, and broke more windows, despite the mayor's presence. Mayor Hunt addressed the mob and persuaded them to disperse.

Anticipating further violence, Mayor Jesse Hunt summoned thirty armed horsemen as a militia to form a cordon across the entrance to Battle Monument Square. The next evening, a large crowd gathered in Baltimore Street and marched north on Calvert toward the mayor and his guard. Unable to break through, the crowd moved to the home of Judge John Glenn, another bank director, where they smashed windows, broke through a barricaded front door, threw furniture into the street, and tore down the entire front wall. Police arrived and fired into the mob, but the rioters refused to disperse.

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