Throughout the 1880s , anti-Chinese incidents became increasingly common . On September 4 , 1885 , the Rock Springs Massacre occurred in Rock Springs , Wyoming Territory and represented one of the deadliest anti-Chinese incidents in the United States during the nineteenth century . A group of coal miners drove out hundreds of Chinese miners and killed at least 28 of them . News of this event spread nationally and internationally and led to increased friction between the Chinese consulate and the United States government . This would become one of a string of violent incidents directed towards the Chinese population in the Pacific Northwest territories
Rock Springs Massacre
Rock Springs massacre
Tacoma riot of 1885