In the year 1729, on the night of November 7th, something known as the Night of the Black Knives occurred. This event was a massacre that took place in the city of Philadelphia. It is estimated that between 24 and 40 people were killed, most of them being black men. The event began when a group of white men, led by John Keefauver, went to a tavern in search of a man named Richard Allen. When they couldn't find him, they began to attack other black men who were in the tavern. They then went through the streets, attacking any black man they could find. At one point, they even attacked a church where black people were gathered. In total, it is believed that around 100 black men were attacked that night. Only a handful of them survived.
The Night of the Black Knives was one of the many racially motivated attacks that occurred in Philadelphia during the 18th century. Unfortunately, due to lack of records, not much is known about this specific event. However, it is clear that race relations were very tense in Philadelphia at this time period. This massacre was likely a result of growing tensions between white and black residents in the city.