Seattle riot of 1886

An artist's interpretation of the riot, from West Shore Magazine, March 1886. The three panels are entitled, respectively "Packing Up", "On the Wharf", and "The Collision".

The Seattle riot of 1886 occurred on February 6–9, 1886, in Seattle, Washington, amidst rising anti-Chinese sentiment caused by intense labor competition and in the context of an ongoing struggle between labor and capital in the Western United States. The dispute arose when a mob affiliated with a local Knights of Labor chapter formed small committees to carry out a forcible expulsion of all Chinese from the city. Violence erupted between the Knights of Labor rioters and federal troops ordered in by President Grover Cleveland. The incident resulted in the removal of over 200 Chinese civilians from Seattle and left two militia men and five rioters seriously injured, with one later dying from his injuries.[note 1][1] [2]


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  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Carlos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Clayton David Laurie; Ronald H. Cole (1997). The Role of Federal Military Forces in Domestic Disorders, 1877-1945. Government Printing Office. pp. 85–109. ISBN 978-0-16-088268-5. Retrieved March 21, 2013.