Lombard Street Riot
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Here on August 1, 1842 an angry mob of whites attacked a parade celebrating Jamaican Emancipation Day. A riot ensued. African Americans were beaten and their homes looted. The rioting lasted for 3 days. A local church & abolition meeting place were destroyed by fire.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On August 1, 1842, Philadelphia's Black community gathered to celebrate the anniversary of emancipation in the British West Indies—a hopeful marker of freedom in a nation where slavery still reigned. A white mob descended on the peaceful parade, and over three days of violence African Americans were beaten, their homes ransacked, and a church and abolitionist meeting hall burned to the ground. The Lombard Street Riot was one of a wave of anti-Black assaults that convulsed the antebellum city.
Why it matters
The riot lays bare the ferocious hostility that free Black Americans faced even in the North decades before emancipation, a reminder that the struggle for civil rights long predated the Civil War.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Hill-Physick House0.2 mi away · 321 South 4th Street
- Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial0.3 mi away
- Powel House0.3 mi away · 244 South 3rd Street
- Bridgette Mayer0.4 mi away · 709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Philosophical Hall0.4 mi away · PA
- Congress Hall0.4 mi away · Philadelphia, PA
Attractions
- Italian market0.4 mi away · Christian Street
- Second Bank of the United States0.4 mi away · 420 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Carpenters' Hall0.4 mi away · 320 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Liberty Bell0.5 mi away · 526 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
- First Bank of the United States0.5 mi away · 120 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- City Tavern0.5 mi away · 138 South 2nd Street
Food & drink
- Talula's Garden0.3 mi away · 210 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Talula's Daily0.3 mi away · 208 West Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA
- Cafe Walnut0.3 mi away · 703 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Fat Salmon0.4 mi away · 719 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Thank You Thank You Coffee Roasters0.4 mi away · 700 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Maya's Pizza & Grill0.4 mi away · 716 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
Places to stay
- Morris House Hotel0.3 mi away · 225 South 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA
- AKA Washington Square0.5 mi away · 834 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Renaissance Philadelphia Downtown Hotel0.5 mi away · 401 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Philadelphia Marriott Old City0.5 mi away · 1 Dock Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Thomas Bond House0.5 mi away · 129 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia
- Alexander Inn0.5 mi away · 301 301 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Philadelphia, PA
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Related events
- · Lombard Street Riot
- · Jamaican Emancipation Day celebration
Themes & tags
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