July 5, 1844 - Kensington Riots Begin

Much like today, controversy over immigration in the 1840s sparked heated debate on both sides of the political spectrum. In Philadelphia, PA, the Irish Catholic immigrant population was booming, and Americans were losing jobs to Irish laborers willing to work for less wages. Additionally, at the school located inside St. Phillip Neri’s Catholic Church in the Kensington district, the Catholic Bible was used, angering many Protestants. When the conflict escalated to riots, St. Phillip Neri armed members of the church to defend themselves. On the evening of July 5, 1844, the local militia wheeled in three cannons aimed at the church, and over a thousand mob members showed up by dawn. By the end of the next day, church members had managed to scatter the mob, and the church still stands to this day.