History of London minor crimes. Public hangings were common in London, and were popular public events. In 1780, London was rocked by the Gordon Riots, an uprising by Protestants against Roman Catholic emancipation led by Lord George Gordon. Severe damage was caused to Catholic churches and homes, and 285 rioters were killed. In the year 1787, freed slaves from London, America, and many of Britain's colonies founded Freetown in modern-day Sierra Leone. Up until 1750, London Bridge was the only crossing over the Thames, but in that year Westminster Bridge was opened and, for the first time in history, London Bridge, in a
Battle off Halifax (1780) Battle off Halifax (1780) The Battle off Halifax took place on 10 July 1780 during the American Revolutionary War. The British Brig "HMS Resolution" fought the American USS Viper and heavy casualties happened on both sides. The battle was "one of the bloodiest battles in the history of privateering... a loss of 51 lives in a single battle was virtually unheard of." During the American Revolution, Americans regularly attacked Nova Scotia by land and sea. American privateers devastated the maritime economy by raiding many of the coastal communities, such as the numerous raids on Liverpool and on Annapolis Royal. A