The Gordon Riots

           The Gordon Riots of 1780 serve as some of the most violent pieces of recorded Westminster history, displaying the horrid effects of intersecting religion and politics, or church and state in 18th-century England. The riots began as an aggressively anti-Catholic response to the Catholic Relief Act (Papists Act) of 1778.

            The Catholic Relief Act aimed to cut back on the discrimination against Roman Catholics, allowing these individuals to join the army and own property, among other basic rights. However, the Protestants did not agree with this new way of life, as they viewed Roman Catholics as being a threat to Britain’s identity. The leader of the Protestant Association, Lord George Gordon, became the face of this backlash, acting as a voice for the Protestants who decided that Catholics would now be able to infiltrate the military and commit treason.

            All of the anger and backlash from the Protestants culminated on June 2nd, 1780. Nearly 60,000 of the protestors gathered in St. George’s fields, then were led to Parliament by Gordon himself to present to them a petition to repeal the Catholic Relief Act. The main idea to keep in mind is the fact that the confrontation started out peacefully. However, this peace was short-lived. Their demonstration quickly turned extremely violent, with members of Parliament being attacked, Catholic churches and homes being targeted, etc. Over the following few days, the chaos only got worse. June 7th of the same year came to be known as “Black Wednesday,” due to the sheer amount of dark violence brought on by the rioters. Prisons such as Newgate were burned to the ground, freeing prisoners and harming others, and the Bank of England was nearly stormed, leading King George III to declare martial law on the country. By that Friday, the riots had ended, but not without significant loss. Aside from the damages caused by looting and arson, it is estimated that 300 people lost their lives in the short time span.

            Luckily, some justice was brought to these people, as about 450 rioters were arrested afterward, with 25 of them being hanged. As for Lord Gordon himself, he was sentenced to eight years in prison and was tried for high treason, though acquitted as they could not hold him solely responsible for the rioters’ actions.

            In the end, the Gordon riots displayed to the public the sheer scope of violence that can occur when civilians band together. They proved to the country that effective law enforcement is crucial, and they starkly underlined class tensions in Great Britain, where issues of religion, government, and social class intersected harshly. These riots serve us today as a clear example of a time in history not worth repeating.

Resources:

“Spotlight on: Gordon Riots.” The National Archives, The National Archives, 28 Mar. 2025, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/students/videos/spotlight-on/spotlight-on-gordon-riots/

“The Gordon Riots: How an Anti-Catholic Petition Escalated into the Most Destructive Riots in London’s History.” HistoryExtra, HistoryExtra, 20 Aug. 2024, www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/gordon-riots/#.

“The Gordon Riots: London in Flames.” London Walkswww.walks.com/blog/gordon-riots-london.

“History of the Gordon Riots.” EBSCO Research Starterswww.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/gordon-riots.

Gresham College. “The Gordon Riots of 1780: London in Flames, a Nation in Ruins.” Gresham Collegewww.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/gordon-riots-1780-london-flames-nation-ruins.

“Gordon Riots.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Riots

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Event date:

2 Jun 1780 to 9 Jun 1780

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