▁E ight ▁men ▁were ▁conv icted ▁of ▁m ans la ugh ter ▁but ▁later ▁had ▁their ▁conv ict ions ▁over turn ed . ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁largest ▁Chinese ▁population ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁was ▁also ▁hit ▁by ▁a ▁major ▁anti - Ch inese ▁ri ot ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁un emp loy ed ▁white ▁workers ▁gathered ▁for ▁a ▁social ist ▁meeting ▁and ▁began ▁attack ing ▁Chinese ▁imm igr ants , ▁killing ▁four , ▁as ▁they ▁bl amed ▁them ▁for ▁their ▁economic ▁wo es . ▁ ▁Anti - Ch inese ▁violence ▁spread ▁to ▁smaller ▁cities ▁such ▁as ▁Ch ico , ▁We aver ville ▁and ▁Y re ka . ▁White ▁gun men ▁shot ▁and ▁killed ▁four ▁Chinese ▁men ▁in ▁Ch ico ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁and ▁later ▁un success fully ▁attempted ▁to ▁burn ▁the ▁town ' s ▁Ch in at own ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁the ▁entire ▁Chinese ▁population ▁of ▁Pla cer ▁County ▁was ▁exp elled ▁after ▁a ▁Chinese ▁cook ▁named ▁Ah ▁Sam ▁murder ed ▁three ▁white ▁people ▁near ▁Lo om is . ▁▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁Anti - Ch inese ▁violence ▁and ▁sentiment ▁in ▁America ▁reached ▁a ▁peak ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁Congress ▁passed ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Ex clusion ▁Act ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁which ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁pre text ▁for ▁violent ▁actions ▁against ▁Chinese ▁communities ▁across