The Philadelphia Balloon Riot occurred at Vauxhall Garden in Philadelphia, PA on the evening of September 8, 1819. [1] After guards beat a boy unconscious for attempting to climb a fence separating the paying guests from those who couldn't afford the expensive entry fee, crowds broke down the fence and ripped the hot air balloon to pieces.
Balloon aviation was a novel phenomenon in the U.S., the first manned flight in a U.S. balloon being accomplished by Edward Warren in Baltimore, MA in 1784. [2] In September 1819 the Franklin Gazette of Philadelphia announced that French aeronaut Monsieur Michel would perform a balloon ascension and parachute leap at Vauxhall Gardens. [1] [2] Tens of thousands arrived to witness the balloon launch, but the one dollar admission fee prevented all but the wealthy from a closer look at the balloon. [3]
Given the nature of hot air balloon technology at the time, the success or failure of a given balloon flight was uncertain and suspenseful, as the process of inflation took an extended period of time. [4] Because of "insufficient gas," the balloon at Vauxhall Gardens did not rise and further annoyed the waiting crowd. Frustrated onlookers threw stones and punctured the balloon, whilst others attempted to climb the fence blocking the view. [2] One of these, a boy of fourteen, was beaten by guards for attempting to climb the fence. The sight of the boy, beaten unconscious, aroused the anger of the crowd. [2]
The exact causes of the Philadelphia Balloon Riot are uncertain. Paul Gilje considers the Philadelphia Balloon Riot to be an example of class conscious rioting, mainly caused by the visible divisions between those who could pay for better access to the balloon and those who could not. [3] Other scholars suggest that the overreaction of local authorities was an important factor in the riot, stressing the beating of the boy as the primary cause. [4] Still others ascribe the riot to a "dark side of popular enthusiasm." [2]
Upon seeing the bloodied body of the boy, the crowd took action. With the flagpole from the gardens as a makeshift battering ram, the crowd destroyed the gate. [2] They then, in a show of "egalitarian spirit," tore the balloon to pieces with "sticks and stones." [3] Not content with ripping the balloon apart, the crowd then smashed the instruments of musicians responsible for entertaining the paying guests, destroyed the refreshment bar, and eventually set fire to the pavilion. [2] [3]
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket, which carries passengers and a source of heat, in most cases an open flame caused by burning liquid propane. The heated air inside the envelope makes it buoyant, since it has a lower density than the colder air outside the envelope. As with all aircraft, hot air balloons cannot fly beyond the atmosphere. The envelope does not have to be sealed at the bottom, since the air inside the envelope is at about the same pressure as the surrounding air. In modern sport balloons the envelope is generally made from nylon fabric, and the inlet of the balloon is made from a fire-resistant material such as Nomex. Modern balloons have been made in many shapes, such as rocket ships and the shapes of various commercial products, though the traditional shape is used for most non-commercial and many commercial applications.
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Vauxhall Bridge is a Grade II* listed steel and granite deck arch bridge in central London. It crosses the River Thames in a southeast–northwest direction between Vauxhall on the south bank and Pimlico on the north bank. Opened in 1906, it replaced an earlier bridge, originally known as Regent Bridge but later renamed Vauxhall Bridge, built between 1809 and 1816 as part of a scheme for redeveloping the south bank of the Thames. The bridge was built at a location in the river previously served by a ferry.
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Vauxhall Gardens is a public park in Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, on the south bank of the River Thames.
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