# The Gordon Riots of 1780: London in Flames, a Nation in Ruins

- Institution: Gresham College
- Speaker: Professor Ian Haywood
- Year: 2013
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: History, Religion
- Source: [Gresham College](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/gordon-riots-1780-london-flames-nation-ruins)
- Licence: [Educational use (Gresham College's terms)](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

In June 1780 the most destructive urban riots in English history erupted onto the streets of London. Sparked by resistance to the Catholic Relief Act of 1778, the riots soon escalated into a sustained assault on government properties and institutions. Fuelled by popular resentment against the war with America, the mob set fire to the private houses of members of parliament, central London prisons, and the toll-booths on bridges: at one stage even the Bank of England was attacked.

## Lectures

1. [The Gordon Riots of 1780: London in Flames, a Nation in Ruins](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/gordon-riots-1780-london-flames-nation-ruins/c3764ad23a80) (YouTube)