Riots

In the 1950 and 1960s there were well over 100 riots in American cities. The most notable riots were the ones in Detroit, Michigan; Harlem, New York; Newark, Delaware; and Watts (an area in Los Angeles, California). These are most noted for their size and duration. These riots were the culimnation of years of racial suppression and economic exploitation. The riots were psychologically similar to the Boston Tea Party in the respect that it was protest against exploitation and a rebellion against authority. During the riots, though, most of the action was not random. Storekeepers who had been exploiting locals were targetted while most others were left unscathed.

The riots of this era served to unite large numbers of people with the common bond of violence. It also helped to release a lot of the tension that had built up in the black community and it served to combat the feelings of helplessness and invisibility that pervaded the ghettos at the time. In the eyes of those that rioted, the violence and looting was justified because it was rebellion against things that were wrong; things like higher prices, lower pay, poor housing, police brutality, and discrimination.

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