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Black history: Philadelphia’s explosive and violent 19th century race riots
The city was home to the largest free African American population in the country, but racism led to destructive clashes.
'Destruction by Fire of Pennsylvania Hall,' by J.T. Bowen, 1838
Feb. 26, 2021, 11:45 a.m.
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Early 19th century Philadelphia might have seemed like a budding haven for free Black people. Leading up to the Civil War, the city became home to the largest number of free African Americans in the country, and was a center for the abolitionist movement.