SEP 8, 1819: The Philadelphia Balloon Riot occurs at the Vauxhall Garden after overreacting amusement park guards beat a 14yr old boy bloody & unconscious for trying to climb a fence (which was blocking the view of an intended balloon lift & parachute jump) that separated the wealthy paying guests from impatient onlookers (estimated at 30,000 in vacant lots & nearby fields) who couldn't afford the $1 admission price. At the time, hot air balloon aviation & passenger rides had captured the public's fascination, and visible divisions in society between the rich against the impoverished had been responsible for class-conscious friction leading to several instances of frustrated exchanges & occasional physical outbursts of unrest. [This was especially evident in the backdrop of the Panic of 1819 financial crisis in the USA where deflation, bank failures & widespread unemployment led to a collapse of the economy that persisted through 1821]. After the boy was mercilessly mistreated and a false rumor spread of his death, the aroused anger of the patrons (many of them drunk) led to the fence being broken down by a flagpole used as a makeshift battering ram. The furious mob then threw stones & punctured the grounded balloon with sticks, tearing it to pieces. Nearby assembled musicians fled in panic while the rowdy crowd smashed their instruments, destroyed a refreshment bar, looted alcohol, and then set fire to the pavillion which was completely gutted in 15 minutes. The Garden property was sold in Mar 1822, cleared of the ruins, renewed, and re-opened in Jul 1824 as a summer resort for stage plays.
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