Philadelphia Nativist Riots

Philadelphia nativist riots
The July 7, 1844, riot in Southwark
Date	1844, May 6–8, and July 6–7
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Causes	Anti-Catholicism Nativism Instability (political and economic)
Result	Politicization of the event Build up of government forces
Casualties
Death(s)	20+

The Philadelphia Nativist Riots (also known as the Philadelphia Prayer Riots, the Bible Riots and the Native American Riots) were a series of riots that took place between May 6 and 8 and July 6 and 7, 1844, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and the adjacent districts of Kensington and Southwark. The riots were a result of rising anti-Catholic sentiment at the growing population of Irish Catholic immigrants.

In the five months prior to the riots, nativist groups had been spreading a 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. Riots erupted again in July, after it was discovered that St. Philip Neri's Catholic Church in Southwark had armed itself for protection. Fierce fighting broke out between the nativists and the soldiers sent to protect the church, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. Several Catholic churches were burned. Nationally, the riots helped fuel criticism of the nativist movement, despite denials from nativist groups of responsibility. The riots made deficiencies in law enforcement in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts readily apparent, influencing various reforms in local police departments and the eventual consolidation of the city in 1854.

As Philadelphia became industrialized, immigrants from England, Ireland, and Germany settled in the city and the surrounding districts. The potato famine was just underway causing emigration from Ireland. In the areas the immigrants settled, tensions that resulted from religious, economic and cultural differences grew between residents. The majority of immigrants coming to Philadelphia were Catholic.