SINCE 1526
Racial Violence in the United States

Racial Violence in the United States

Since 1526

by Frances Presley Rice

Race Riots and Rebellions

"La Révolte"

Race Riots and Rebellions Since 1526

While racial violence since 1526 has impacted almost every ethnic and racial group in the United States, it has had a particularly horrific effect on African American life. Notably, in some of the riots where blacks were the primary victims, some whites were targeted as well. Examples:

The Cincinnati Race Riots (1836): Record shows that "The crowds also targeted known white abolitionists.
The Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation (1842).

For comparative purposes, and courtesy of the black history website, BlackPast.org, below is an overview of the race riots and rebellions that occurred from 1526 to the benchmark year of 1951.

Revolts of the Enslaved: 14
Antebellum Urban Violence: 5
Civil War, Reconstruction, and Post-Reconstruction Era Violence: 18
Race Riots from 1900-1951: 23

Complete List

Chicago, Illinois Race Riots 1919

The Complete List of Violence Since 1526

The complete list (not included is violence affecting a single individual, such as lynchings or police shootings) is shown below:

Revolts of the Enslaved

San Miguel de Gualdape Slave Rebellion, 1526
Gloucester County Conspiracy, 1663
Bacon’s Rebellion, 1676
New York City Slave Uprising, 1712
The Stono Rebellion, 1739
New York City Slave Conspiracy, 1741
Gabriel Prosser Revolt, 1800
Igbo Landing Mass Suicide, 1803
Andry’s Rebellion, 1811
Denmark Vesey Conspiracy, 1822
Nat Turner Revolt, 1831
Amistad Mutiny, 1839
Creole Case, 1841
Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation, 1842

Antebellum Urban Violence

Cincinnati Riots, 1829
Anti-Abolition Riots, 1834
Cincinnati Race Riots, 1836
The Pennsylvania Hall Fire, 1838
Christina (Pennsylvania) Riot, 1851

Civil War, Reconstruction, and Post-Reconstruction Era Violence

Detroit Race Riot, 1863
New York City Draft Riots, 1863
Memphis Riot, 1866
New Orleans Massacre, 1866
Pulaski Race Riot, 1868
Camilla Massacre, 1868
Opelousas Massacre, 1868
The Meridian Race Riot, 1871
Chicot County Race War, 1871
The Colfax Massacre, 1873
Clinton (Mississippi) Riot, 1875
Hamburg Massacre, 1876
Carroll County Courthouse Massacre, 1886
Thibodaux Massacre, 1887
New Orleans Dockworkers’ Riot, 1894-1895
Virden, Illinois Race Riot, 1898
Wilmington Race Riot, 1898
Newburg, New York Race Riot, 1899

Race Riots, 1900-1951

Robert Charles Riot (New Orleans), 1900
New York City Race Riot, 1900
Atlanta Race Riot, 1906
Springfield, Illinois Race Riot, 1908
The Slocum Massacre, 1910
East St. Louis Race Riot, 1917
Chester, Pennsylvania Race Riot, 1917
Houston Mutiny and Race Riot, 1917
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Race Riot, 1918
Charleston (South Carolina) Riot, 1919
Longview Race Riot, 1919
Washington, D.C. Riot, 1919
Knoxville Race Riot, 1919
Elaine, Arkansas Riot, 1919
Tulsa Race Massacre, 1921
Rosewood Massacre, 1923
Harlem Race Riot, 1935
Beaumont Race Riot, 1943
Detroit Race Riot, 1943
Columbia Race Riot, 1946
Peekskill Riot, 1949
The Cicero Riot, 1951
Chicago Race Riot, 1919