http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/06/18/3671290/tragic-history-of-violence-against-churches/
"Last night, in a horrific act of hateful violence, a white gunman shot and killed at least nine people at the historically black Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The incident, which is being investigated as a hate crime, immediately sparked outrage, with many wondering aloud how someone could commit such an act — especially in a church, were the victims were attending a Bible study.
But while Wednesday’s shooting is appalling, it’s not the first time Emanuel A.M.E. has endured violence. The historically progressive church, which was founded in 1791, was burned to the ground in 1822 by white supremacists for its connection to an attempted slave revolt.
In fact, the assault on prayerful worshippers in Charleston is part of a long, bloody history of houses of worship being attacked for their beliefs, their progressive activism, or simply for who they are. There are too many incidents to list all of them in a single post, but we’ve listed a few — both recent and historical — below."
