Mass Racial Violence in The United States - Anti-immigrant and Anti-Catholic Violence

Anti-immigrant and Anti-Catholic Violence

Riots defined by "race" have taken place between ethnic groups in the United States since as early as the pre-Revolution era of the 18th century. During the early-to-mid- 19th centuries, violent rioting occurred between Protestant "Nativists" and recently arrived Irish Catholic immigrants. These reached heights during the peak of immigration in the 1840s and 1850s in cities including New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. During the early 20th century, riots were common against Irish and French-Canadian immigrants in Providence, Rhode Island.

The San Francisco Vigilance Movements of 1851 and 1856 are often described by sympathetic historians as responses to rampant crime and government corruption. In addition to lynching accused criminals, the vigilantes also systematically attacked Irish immigrants, however. The anti-immigrant violence later focused on Mexicans, Chileans whom came as miners in the California Gold Rush and Chinese immigrants. Other racial or ethnic violence continued, including against Filipinos, Japanese and Armenians in California in the early 20th century.

During the late 19th century and early 20th century, Italian Americans were the second minority group (next to African Americans) most likely to be lynched. One of the largest lynchings in US history occurred in New Orleans in 1891, when eleven Italians were violently murdered in the streets by a large lynch mob. In the 1890s a total of twenty Italians were lynched in the South. Riots and lynchings against Italian Americans erupted into the 20th century in the South, as well as in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston. Anti-Polish incidents and violence also occurred in the same time period.