Snowtown Riot - Providence, Rhode Island
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 41° 49.878 W 071° 24.654
19T E 299801 N 4633855
The Snowtown Riot is remembered with a plaque at the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence.
Waymark Code: WM9ACB
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Date Posted: 07/21/2010
Views: 10
The Snowtown Riot occurred in 1831...and were one of a series of riots that seem to have been aggravated by the newspaper in Providence which argued for discriminatory actions against the City's African-American population. This plaque is located at the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence and is part of the Rhode Island African-American Heritage Trail.
The riots were the catalyst for causing the City to organize itself with strong police powers.
One person was actually killed in the riot...but, there were about 1,000 white rioters attacking the African-American community and meeting resistance from about 130 members of the artillery and cavalry.
See the following website for a very extensive discussion of the event: (
visit link)