Gordon Riots

The Gordon Riots were a series of anti-Catholic riots in London organized by MP and anti-Catholic extremist Lord George Gordon.

Background
In 1788, the Papists Act was introduced. This was a law which, in order to mitigate discrimination against Catholics, offered civil rights to those willing to swear allegiance to the crown. However, this upset many Protestants, who hated the Catholics and believed that this would cause a rebellion. This resulted in the forming of the Protestants Association, an anti-Catholic group, of which Lord George Gordon became president.

Event
On the 2nd of June 1780, Lord Gordon assembled a crowd of about 50,000 militant Protestants at St George's Fields and led them to London. When they reached the capital, they attempted to force their way into the House of Commons, with Gordon leading the charge, holding a petition demanding the repeal of the Papists Act. A detachment of soldiers dispersed the mob, and the petition, which Gordon had handed over, was rejected by Parliament.

However, another mob soon formed in Lincoln's Inn Fields, a district in London, and attacked the Sardinian Roman Catholic Embassy. Police were dispatched and thirteen of the rioters were arrested. Another mob formed in Warwick Street and tore down a Catholic chapel. Other mobs wrecked areas known to house rich Catholics, destroying the areas regardless of whether or not they hurt non-Catholics in the process. Moorfield, one of the poorest areas of London, was attacked by a mob, which rampaged through the streets burning and destroying buildings. Newgate Prison and another London prison, The Clink, were destroyed and the prisoners broken out. Catholic places of worship were destroyed, and on "Black Wednesday", the riots reached their peak. The military were deployed to defend what was left of London. The rioters tried to attack the Bank of England, but the military held them off. The riots eventually dispersed after the military killed 285 rioters and captured 450.

Aftermath
30 of those captured were hanged for their involvement in the riots. Lord Gordon was tried for treason, among other things, but he was acquitted, whilst Brakley Kennet, Lord Mayor of London, was found guilty of criminal negligence for failing to make use of the riot act and fined £1000. The riots also resulted in the Bank of England starting a tradition where they kept an armed contingent of soldiers on guard in case of another riot. In the bigger picture, the Gordon Riots resulted in a wider discussion into the creation of a proper police force, which had previously been rejected as absolutist (fascist), and resulted in the breakdown of peace talks with the Catholic Spain, who refused to pull out of the American War of Independence after hearing of Britain's failure to protect Catholics during the riots.

Trivia
The novel Barnaby Rudge is set during the Gordon Riots, and features Lord Gordon as a character.