BattlefieldsGordon Riots — attack on Bank of England 1780
modern

Gordon Riots — attack on Bank of England 1780

1780
England
Era
modern
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Gordon rioters
Forces
Military and magistrates
VS
Victor
British military and government forces
Forces
Gordon rioter crowds
Outcome
Bank of England successfully defended; government authorised use of military force without magistrate present; riots suppressed within days
The Battle

History & Significance

Rioters attempted to storm the Bank of England at the height of the Gordon Riots; the Bank was defended by a detachment of soldiers and the novelist John Wilkes as a City magistrate; this was a turning point when the government finally authorised lethal force

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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