In Memory

Simmering racial tensions and economic frustrations boil over in New York City on the night of August 1, 1943, culminating in what is now known as the Harlem Riot of 1943. During an altercation in the lobby of the Braddock Hotel, a white police officer shoots a Black soldier, Robert Bandy, triggering a massive uprising.

Overwhelmingly white before the Great Migration, Harlem was 89 percent Black by the time the United States entered World War II. Despite the cultural innovations that accompanied these changes, known as the Harlem Renaissance, the neighborhood’s businesses remained mostly white-owned, and landlords and business owners continued to discriminate against Black residents. World War II brought not only conscription but also a higher cost of living, putting even more strain on a Black community whose economy was still controlled almost entirely by whites.

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Citation Information

Article Title

The Harlem Riot of 1943 begins

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/harlem-riot-of-1943-begins

Access Date

July 31, 2022

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 27, 2021

Original Published Date

July 27, 2021

BY

 HISTORY.COM EDITORS

1498 – Christopher Columbus landed on “Isla Santa” (Venezuela).

1774 – Oxygen was isolated from air successfully by chemist Carl Wilhelm and scientist Joseph Priestly.

1790 – The first U.S. census was completed with a total population of 3,929,214 recorded. The areas included were the present states of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia 

1834 – Slavery was outlawed in the British empire with an emancipation bill.

1873 – Andrew S. Hallidie successfully tested a cable car. The design was done for San Francisco, CA.

1876 – Colorado became the 38th state to join the United States.

1893 – Shredded wheat was patented by Henry Perky and William Ford.

1894 – The first Sino-Japanese War erupted. The dispute was over control of Korea.

1907 – The U.S. Army established an aeronautical division that later became the U.S. Air Force.

1914 – Germany declared war on Russia at the beginning of World War I.

1936 – Adolf Hitler presided over the Olympic games as they opened in Berlin.

1943 – In the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Navy patrol torpedo boat PT-109 sank after being hit by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. The boat was under the command of Lt. John F. Kennedy. Eleven of the thirteen crew survived.

1944 – In Warsaw, Poland, an uprising against Nazi occupation began. The revolt continued until October 2 when Polish forces surrendered.

1946 – In the U.S., the Atomic Energy Commission was established. 

1953 – The first aluminum-faced building was completed. It was the first of this type in America.

1956 – The Social Security Act was amended to provide benefits to disabled workers aged 50-64 and disabled adult children.

1957 – The North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) was created by the United States and Canada.

1975 – The Helsinki accords pledged the signatory nations to respect human rights.

1995 – Westinghouse Electric Corporation announced a deal to buy CBS for $5.4 billion.

1998 – The U.S. books and music chain Borders opens its first European outlet with a 40,000-square-foot store on London’s Oxford Street.

2006 – Cuban leader Fidel Castro turned over absolute power when he gave his brother Raul authority while he underwent an intestinal surgery.