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The Gordon Riots is a term used to refer to a number of events in a predominantly Protestant religious uprising in London aimed against the Roman Catholic Relief Act, 1778, "relieving his Majesty's subjects, of the Catholic Religion, from certain penalties and disabilities imposed upon them during the reign of William III." The ostensible intention of this piece of legislation was, as the Act's preamble states, to mitigate some of the more extreme manifestations of official discrimination against Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom at the time, particularly and notably absolving Catholics from taking the religious oath when joining the British military. There were very strong expedient reasons for this particular act of seeming benevolence, notably the fact that British military forces at the time were stretched very thin, with conflicts ongoing with France, Spain and America, and opening the door to recruitment of Catholics was a significant factor in the eventual resolution of this shortfall of manpower. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...
London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...
Catholic Emancipation was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity and the Test Acts. ...
The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...
The Protestant Association was an organisation set up by Lord George Gordon in 1780 to force the repeal of this legislation. An articulate, albeit eccentric, propagandist, Gordon inflamed the mob with fears of papism and a return to absolute monarchical rule, intimating that Catholics within the military would, given a chance, join forces with their co-religionists on the Continent, and attack England. Lord George Gordon (26 December 1751 - 12 November 1793), third and youngest son of Cosmo George, duke of Gordon, was an eccentric politician. ...
The political climate deteriorated rapidly. Gordon called a meeting of the Protest Association on May 29, 1780 called for a march on the House of Commons to deliver a petition demanding the repeal of the Roman Catholic Relief Act the following week. May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ...
1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...
British House of Commons Canadian House of Commons In some bicameral parliaments of a Westminster System, the House of Commons has historically been the name of the elected lower house. ...
On June 2, 1780 a huge crowd, many carrying flags and banners proclaiming "No Popery", and estimated to be between 40,000 to 60,000 strong, assembled and marched on the Houses of Parliament. As they marched, their numbers gathered and swelled. They attempted to force their way in to the House of Commons but without success. Gordon, petition in hand, and wearing the blue cockade in his hat, the symbol of the Protestant Association, entered the Lower House and presented the petition. Outside, however, the situation quickly got out of hand and a riot erupted. 2 June is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ...
1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...
This may refer to the: British Houses of Parliament. ...
Riots in Newark, New Jersey. ...
Newgate Prison was attacked, and largely destroyed. Severe destruction was inflicted on Catholic churches and homes, including the chapels on the grounds of several embassies, as well as the Bank of England, Fleet Prison, and the house of the Lord Chief Justice, William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom, sometimes known as The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street or The Old Lady. The nearest London Underground station is Bank station. ...
Pray remember ye poor debtors: inmates of the Fleet Prison beg passers by for alms. ...
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, and the presiding judge of Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal, and of the Queens Bench Division of the High Court. ...
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield (March 2, 1705 - March 20, 1793), was a British judge and politician who reached high office in the House of Lords. ...
The army was called out on June 7 and 285 rioters were killed. Of those arrested, about 20 or 30 were executed. Gordon was arrested and charged with high treason, but was found not guilty. June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ...
In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to ones nation. ...
The riots are described at second-hand by Charles Dickens in his historical novel Barnaby Rudge. Charles Dickens was a prolific writer who was almost always working on a new instalment for a story and rarely missed a deadline. ...
Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty is a historical novel by the author Charles Dickens. ...
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