1838 Black Metropolis · Documentary Evidence

Mob Attacks on the Black Population of Philadelphia During the 19th Century

Between 1834 and 1849 the Black population of Philadelphia was subjected to 5 violent attacks by white mobs. This dashboard is the result of data from City Archives, Penn Hospital Records, Newspapers, and First Person Accounts.

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Sources & references

This data was compiled from Philadelphia City Archives (Prisoners for Trial and Quarter Sessions), Pennsylvania Hospital Archives, newspaper articles, church histories, the 1838 and 1847 Pennsylvania Abolition Society Census, and first-person eyewitness accounts.
Please reach out to us at connect@1838BlackMetropolis.com to learn more about our sources.
Learn the history — see the visual timelines of these mob attacks: 1838 Black Metropolis — Mob Attack Timelines
Self-Defense Data: Acts of Self-Defense — source spreadsheet