The riot of 1919 was the largest of its kind in Chicago’s history and the main episode of racial violence in the “Red Summer” that swept the nation in that year. From July 27th to August 3rd, thousands of Black and White Chicagoans fought each other in the streets, resulting in 38 deaths (23 African American and 15 white) and over 500 injuries (two-thirds of them African American). As the above maps show, the riot was concentrated on the periphery of African American neighborhoods on Chicago’s South Side, as the city’s residential “color line” was both defended and created through inter-racial violence.

Clicking on any point on the interactive map will allow you to find out more details on the events of the riot. You can also switch on and off the various layers to see different types of event. For more information on the data sources see About the map.

For events in Chicago commemorating the riot’s centenary see Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots. For a nationwide map of the Red Summer of 1919 see Visualizing the Red Summer.