Philadelphia: The Great Experiment — Season 1, Episode 6: Disorder (1820-1854)

Episode synopsis

In the decades before the Civil War, the city we know as Philadelphia was divided into 29 independent towns and districts. With no unified police, fire, or political authority, chaos ruled the streets. Riots over slavery, jobs, and religion became the norm during the most violent period in the city's history. See the dreamers attempting to hold on to the revolutionary past, the firebrands who challenge the city to rise up against slavery, and the mobs who threaten to destroy it all. Whose Philadelphia will survive?

About Philadelphia: The Great Experiment

A 14-part documentary series covering the history of Philadelphia, William Penn's great utopian experiment, from founding to today.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Fever (1793-1820)
• E2In Penn's Shadow (1680-1720)
• E3Franklin's Spark (1720-1765)
• E4The Storm (1765-1790)
• E5Fever (1793-1820)
• E7An Equal Chance (1855-1871)
• E8The Floodgates Open
• E9World Stage (1872-1899)
• E10Awakening (1900-1920)
• E11Corrupt (1920-1940)
• E12Promise for a Better City (1944-1964)
• E13The Fight (1965-1978)