On this day, in 1835, the Baltimore Bank Riot began as a reaction to the failure of the Bank of Maryland a year prior, as shown in this cartoon. To this day, it is known as one of the most destructive events in US History before the Civil War. On this night, the townspeople, mostly the working class, ransacked the homes of prominent bank leaders following the crash. While this was one of the early examples of public unrest in Baltimore, several followed over the next four decades and the city was sometimes referred to as “mobtown” in the 19th century. Learn the lesser-known history of Maryland with our library special collections, including the Medium Print collection featuring this political cartoon from 1834, following the Bank’s collapse. Political cartoons are a particularly rich historical resource. The allegorical figures and juxtaposition of prominent institutions featured here can help us understand popular attitudes of the time regarding class and politics. How do you inte...