1834 Philadelphia race riot
A race riot in Philadelphia, United States, destroyed African-American businesses and killed two people.
In context
- When
- Tuesday, August 12 1834192 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 19th century · 1830s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.
At a glance
Dates: From 1834.
What happened
A race riot took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States in August 1834. The riot, in which a mob of several hundred white people attacked African Americans living in the area, began on the evening of August 12 and lasted for several days, dying down by August 14.
August 12 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 18341834 Philadelphia race riot
- 1994Major League Baseball
- 2000Russian Navy
- 2000Russian submarine Kursk
- 20152015 Tianjin explosions
- 2016Syrian civil war
- 2016Taedonggang Brewing Company
- 2017Unite the Right rally
- 2018Sarmada
- 2021Plymouth
- 2021Plymouth shooting
Also in 1834
- October 16Palace of WestminsterMost of the Palace of Westminster in London was destroyed in a fire caused by the burning of wooden tally sticks.
- June 151834 looting of SafedThe looting of Safed commences.
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“1834 Philadelphia race riot”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1834-philadelphia-race-riot-1834-august-12, accessed October 29, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did 1834 Philadelphia race riot happen?
August 12 1834 — 192 years ago, on a Tuesday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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