Outbreak of Gordon Riots

Background. The Papists Act 1778 (18 Geo. 3. c. 60) was intended, as its preamble noted, to mitigate some official discrimination against Roman Catholics in Great Britain, somewhat reducing measures enacted by the Popery Act 1698. It absolved Catholics from taking the religious oath when joining the British Armed Forces and granted a few limited liberties.

The March and Outbreak. On 29 May 1780 Gordon called a meeting of the Protestant Association, and his followers subsequently marched on the House of Commons to deliver a petition demanding repeal, a proceeding that set off a riot. On 2 June a crowd estimated at 40,000 to 60,000 assembled and marched on the Houses of Parliament; violence began the same day with looting and burning of Catholic chapels in foreign embassies.

Character of the Violence. After the first march to Parliament, further riots involved groups whose grievances were nationalist, economic, or political rather than religious. Rudé observed no general attack on the Catholic community, the victims being largely persons of substance, though Paul Monod has argued the riots remained fundamentally anti-Catholic in character.