Gordon Riots (1780) followed the passing of the Catholic Relief Act of 1778 by the British Parliament. The act had relieved Roman Catholics from some of the limitations imposed on them because of their religion.
Lord George Gordon organized a movement to repeal the Relief Act. Many opponents of the act thought it threatened Britain’s Protestant churches. Some were suspicious of Roman Catholics because Britain was at war with the Catholic countries of France and Spain.
On June 2, 1780, Gordon led a march to the House of Commons to present a petition calling for the repeal of the Catholic Relief Act. When legislators did not take immediate action, the crowd began to riot. At first, the rioters burned Roman Catholic chapels and houses. Later, they attacked government institutions, such as Newgate Prison and the Bank of England. The rioting continued off and on through June 7, when soldiers arrived to stop the unrest.
