Kensington Riots of 1844

Kensington Riots of 1844 is a Pennsylvania historical marker in Philadelphia County, dedicated 2026.

Philadelphia County · dedicated 2026 · American St. & Jefferson St.

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The first of two 1844 riots in Philadelphia took place May 6–8 and was part of a wave of violence in American cities sparked by Protestant nativists’ attacks on Irish Catholic immigrants. The clashes caused dozens of deaths and injuries and destroyed more than 30 buildings. Local authorities’ failure to maintain order led to such reforms as municipal consolidation in 1854, a unified police force, and the Catholic diocese’s first parochial schools.

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

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Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

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