Start date 1885 | ||
The Tacoma riot of 1885 took place in the city of Tacoma in present day U.S. state of Washington, which was a territory at the time. It involved mobs expelling Chinese immigrants from the city of Tacoma, Washington. The riots in Tacoma were part of a broader wave of anti-Chinese violence in the American west during 1885 and 1886. Although this is mentioned as a riot, it was in reality an organized act of violence and injustice sanctioned by the Mayor, city officials, and the Tacoma police. This organized action became known as "The Tacoma Method," and used as an example of how to forcibly remove Chinese from cities and towns throughout the West.
The Knights of Labor stepped up their anti-Chinese rhetoric and focused attention anew on Tacoma, Washington. In October 1885, protesters in Tacoma announced that all Chinese in the city would have to leave by November. In early November, a mob of whites, led by the Tacoma Mayor Jacob Robert Weisbach and backed by the Tacoma Police, moved into Chinatown and ordered that the residents leave the city. The mob marched the Chinese to a railroad station and forced them to board a train to Portland. In Tacoma, few citizens resisted the mob action as Chinese hatred was widespread.