February 9 – February 12, 1886
The Mob, The Military, and the Riot at the Seattle Wharf
Reports describe forced expulsion of Chinese residents and martial law in Seattle.
6 reports in Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer, February 9 – February 12, 1886.
The story
In February 1886, contemporary reports describe a campaign in Seattle to force Chinese residents from their homes and businesses and a confrontation at the wharf; one report describes martial law with curfews, passes, and armed sentries. One report says Governor Watson Squire declared martial law and brought in federal troops to restore order at the docks; another says a presidential proclamation from Grover Cleveland authorized federal troops to suppress 'domestic violence' and restore order. One report also describes local vigilante committees pressuring Chinese residents to abandon homes and businesses under threat of violence.
Told from the 6 reports below. The reports are the record.
The archive grouped these reports automatically, by date, place and subject.
The reports 6
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Mob, The Military, and the Riot at the Seattle Wharf
In February 1886, a citizen-led campaign of forced expulsion against Seattle’s Chinese residents spiraled into a violent confrontation, triggering a week of martial law and armed conflict in the streets.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe City Under Martial Law: Seattle's 1886 Expulsion
A presidential proclamation from Grover Cleveland arrived in Seattle, authorizing the use of federal troops to suppress 'domestic violence' and restore order after anti-Chinese mobs took to the streets.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Riot of 1886: Seattle’s Dark Chapter of Exclusion
A state-sanctioned mob forces Chinese residents from their homes, leading to martial law and a bloody confrontation at the wharf.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerUnder the Provost Marshal: Seattle’s Martial Law
When the city was placed under military rule during the anti-Chinese riots of 1886, residents faced a new, forced reality of curfews, passes, and armed sentries on every corner.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Siege of Seattle: When Martial Law Came to the Waterfront
As anti-Chinese riots gripped Seattle in February 1886, Governor Watson Squire declared martial law, bringing in federal troops to suppress the violence and restore order at the docks.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Forced Exodus of Seattle's Chinese Community
In February 1886, local vigilante committees pressured Seattle’s Chinese residents to abandon their homes and businesses under threat of violence, forcing a mass departure from the city.
Pictures
Full-page engraving drawn by W. P. Snyder from sketches by J. F. Whiting of Seattle. The printed panel captions read "1. Driving Chinamen on Board of the Steamer" and "2. Marching under Guard to the Court-house"; the large lower scene is the street confrontation. The issue's report on the riot is on page 155.Report a rights issue
Engraving from The West Shore magazine, 1886, captioned "Packing Up": belongings loaded onto a horse-drawn wagon outside wooden storefronts during the forced expulsion of Seattle's Chinese residents, February 7, 1886.Report a rights issue
Engraving from The West Shore magazine, 1886, captioned "On the Wharf": Chinese residents and their baggage crowded on the dock beside the steamer Queen of the Pacific, February 7, 1886.Report a rights issue
Engraving from The West Shore magazine, 1886, captioned "The Collision": armed men struggling and firing in a crowd during the confrontation of February 8, 1886.Report a rights issue
Photograph of a militia company drawn up in formation on a Seattle street outside a large wooden building, February 1886, during the martial law that followed the riot. (MOHAI 9366, per Wikimedia Commons.)Report a rights issue
From the pages
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Feb 9, 1886
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Feb 10, 1886
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Feb 10, 1886
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Feb 10, 1886
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Feb 11, 1886
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · Feb 12, 1886
Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Public domain.