The
Rock Springs massacre occurred in 1885 in the present-day United States city of
Rock Springs, Wyoming. The riot, and resulting massacre of
immigrant Chinese miners by
white immigrant miners, was the result of racial prejudice toward the Chinese miners, who were perceived to be taking jobs from the white miners. The
Union Pacific Coal Department found it economically beneficial to give preference in hiring to Chinese miners, who were willing to work for lower wages than their white counterparts, angering the white miners. When the rioting ended, at least 28 Chinese miners were dead and 15 were injured. Rioters burned 78 Chinese homes, resulting in approximately $150,000 in property damage (equal to $5.09 million in 2020 terms). The massacre in Rock Springs touched off a wave of anti-Chinese violence, especially in the
Puget Sound area of
Washington Territory.
Artwork credit: Thure de Thulstrup; restored by Adam Cuerden
