Record 47 of 74
White Miners Massacred Chinese Residents at Rock Springs
Narrative
On September 2, 1885, white miners in Rock Springs attacked Chinese miners and residents, burned Chinatown, killed at least 28 Chinese men, wounded many others, and drove hundreds into the desert. The New York Times reported that the white miners were “determined to drive out the Chinese” and that more bodies were still being found in the ruins and along the outskirts of town. Later coverage traced the massacre into a broader expulsion campaign, as troops returned Chinese miners under guard, white workers kept insisting that “the Chinese must go.” The United States Congress eventually appropriated funds to indemnify Chinese losses.