Chaos Unveiled: New Exhibit on the Nativitist Riots in Philadelphia in 1844

Villanova University is proud to announce a new, all online exhibit featuring Philadelphia history and the origins of the University. Drawing on the collections of multiple institutions the exhibit brings together manuscript materials and images to illuminate the story of two violent weeks in Philadelphia.  In 1844 Philadelphia was a hotbed of religious and ethnic prejudice, most notably toward Catholics and the Irish.  This was representative of a national sentiment and the exhibition looks at a group called the Nativists, who later became the Know Nothing Party, and their role in the rioting.  In May and July of 1844 these issues came to a breaking point and the city of Philadelphia saw some of its most violent days in her history.  The riots would ultimately have many lasting effects and it can be said that the Philadelphia you see today is partially a result of those violent days. You will also find in the exhibition how the Augustinian community in Philadelphia put major roots down in both center city Philadelphia and of course, Villanova University.

[Image: The Death of George Schiffler, in: Belisle, Orvilla S. The Arch Bishop, or, Romanism in the United States (Philadelphia: W.W. Smith, 1855), p. 221. From the Library of Kenneth W. Milano]