 The Plug Uglies were notorious for being instigators of many Nativist riots in Baltimore from 1854–1865. | |
| Founding location | Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1854–1865 |
| Territory | Baltimore, Maryland and Five Points, Manhattan, New York City, New York, present-day Worth Street, Baxter Street, and Columbus Park, in Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Ethnicity | Old Stock Americans |
| Criminal activities | street fighting, knife fighting assault, murder, robbery, arson, rioting |
| Allies | Bloody Tubs, Rip Raps, Nativists, Dead Rabbits |
| Rivals | Baltimore Irish American gangs |
The Plug Uglies were an American Nativist criminal street gang, sometimes referred to loosely as a political club, that operated in the west side of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1854 to 1865. The term plug ugly was used to identify an extremely tough ferocious fighter who could give a sound beating to an opponent, with the Plug Uglies' name additionally stemming from their practice of stuffing oversized plug hats with wool and leather, pulling them down over their ears for head protection as primitive helmets during the numerous street battles they participated in. The name Plug Uglies was used to refer to a number of criminal gangs in New York City as well as Philadelphia.
The Plug Uglies took part in the 1856 Baltimore Know-Nothing Riot. They allied themselves with the New York City Irish Dead Rabbits gang in looting New York City during the American Civil War in the Draft Riots of 1863.[citation needed] However, this latter alleged association is disputed, as the Plug Uglies, a Nativist gang, were anti-Irish.[citation needed]