What was the cause of the New York draft riots?

Answer 1

During the start of American Civil War in 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called upon volunteers in order to fight and preserve the Union against the newly formed Confederate southern states who started the war when they attacked Union troops stationed in Fort Summer, South Carolina. Two years after the Civil War begins, the North noticed they had shortage of manpower and they were look like as the Confederates were beginning, if not, win the war to stay separate from the United States of America and continued to brutally enslave the black population.

So the Federal government in Washington DC found a solution and passed the newly conscription act that drafted unmarried men of age 20-45 in order to fight in an ongoing American Civil War against the Confederacy. African-Americans weren't considered American citizens back then and were exempted. Many European immigrants, mostly Irish, were enraged when they heard of this draft. At that time, New York City had the largest Irish population of all European immigrants. Most of them moved to America to escape the Potato famine and harsh treatment from the British Crown.

The only way to avoid going into war was to pay a $300 fee or hired a substitute to take place for them. Most wealthy business man have all the money to pay $300 to avoid going into war to hired a substitute and the poor had to go to war and fight. Many European immigrants were angry about this as they see it as a rich men's war and a poor man's fight. The poor could not afford to have $300 because at that time they were only getting $2 a week for work. The Irish immigrants felt it was unfair as they recently moved to the USA for a better life. What fuels the immigrants the most was the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 that Lincoln said regarding the issue of black slavery, causing most of them to blame the blacks for the cause of the American Civil War and the Conscription Act. The poor Irish felt that the blacks that were freemen in the states of the North were their direct competition for the low-paying jobs that were available to them. This was a slap in the face to be forced to fight and die for the same people that they had no favor with.

In July 13, 1863, most of the crowd in New York City began gathering outside to hear their names drawn in the draft to fight for the Union. The mob decides to protest about the unfair treatment of the draft as they felt they were forced to fight in a war they didn't want to fight. At first, they originally wanted to target the draft but then something add fuel to the fire. Mobs begins to grow violent and attacked people that look like rich businessmen and buildings that they own. In addition to it, they also targeted blacks as like i stated felt that they were a threat to the jobs and cause of the American Civil War as well as the Conscription Act. They began lynching anyone that is black and any race that supported to them such as business owners, brothels, etc and so on. The mobs also burned down a Black orphanage leaving the patients homeless and killed. The riots would last from Monday to Friday, that's five days.

When the riots started, New York City barely had no military at all as the New York State National Guard was sent to assist and help Union troops in the bloody battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, leaving the New York City Police Department (NYPD) the only force to quell down the riot. The 800 men police force, only armed with revolvers and clubs, were no match for the 20,000 angry Irish New York City population and unable to stop the anarchy and killing all around the city. The New York City Fire Department (NYFD) did little much to put down the building fires as they were too targeted by the rioters.

The New York city officials began asking Lincoln for help and he finally agreed to send Federal troops to restore order. Union troops, 10 days fresh after seeing the bloodshed and horrors in Gettysburg, and the New York State National Guard arrived back to New York City 36 hours later after the riots started. Union commanders issued their troops to shoot down on rioters in case they pose threat to them, trying to loot businesses, and kill people. Union troops and rioters fought each other for a more than 24 hours until the riots finally calmed down when news reached all across the North that Washington DC had suspended the draft. More Federal troops all across the North were sent into New York City and finally the worst riot in American history was over.

By the time the riots ended, over 119 people were killed and thousands more were injured as a result. African-Americans and newly freed slaves were the high list of casualty rate in the riots and it drove most of the black population away from New York City. In addition, many of mobs were killed in result in a firefight with Union troops thanks to rifles and artillery guns.

Lincoln continued the draft despite the death toll and anger in the drafts riots in New York City. It also provide some changes. Many rich in the North began sending millions of their own money for draftees who refused to fight in a war they didn't believe in and it did for a very while.

The New York Draft Riots of 1863 was the culmination of racism, class workers, unfair treatment, economic reasons, and moral values that some people believed it was not right.

Answer 2

President Abraham Lincoln had first asked for volunteers to join the military to help the Union. After the first Battle of Bull Run took many Union soldiers. As the Civil War went on there was more of a shortage of manpower in the Union. So to resolve this problem, Congress passed the first Conscription Act in 1863. Allowing citizen men 18 years of age to be drafted in times of war. Even though at that time the draft was designed to start voluntary enlistment and actually very few men were drafted into service. Most of the Democrats in New York City were known as Copperheads and they objected to national service of any kind. These Copperheads wanted provisions for their elite that allowed them to pay either $300 or supply a substitute as a commutation fee. This led to the term "300 dollar man and clubs were formed to help supply the commutation fee. Similar to draft-dodging and the public middle to lower class thought that the war had become "a rich man's fight". The first drawing of names were mainly of mechanics and laborers whose names previously appeared in newspapers. Although the NY City riots had not started then, other riots did occur in Buffalo, NY. The second drawing was held on July 13, 1863, 10 days after the Battle of Gettysburg was won by Union forces, a furious crowd ripped through the streets of NY City and no New York State Militia was sent because they were with Union troops in Pennsylvania. The Democratic Party/Copperheads of Tammany Hall wanted to make Irish immigrants as citizens to vote in local elections. Many new poor Irish immigrants soon found out that they had to fight for their new country and that helped fuel the riot by many immigrants. Many immigrants viewed freed slaves as competition for the few jobs offered. Also many Americans blamed blacks/African Americans as the reason for the Civil War to begin with and so an angry mob began to vent their anger on all or any blacks found and even went in search for some to slaughter their frustrations upon. The riots stopped after word was sent to suspend the draft. The exact death toll during the New York Riots is unknown but historians wrote that NY Riots were equivalent to a Confederate Victory. Then several thousand Federal troops entered the city for the next drawing on August 10 and riots had ceased. Many Democratic wanted to have the draft declared unconstitutional but the Tammany Hall Democratic did not declare the draft unconstitutional but did help pay commutation fees on behalf of poor who were drafted.

Answer 3

The US draft operation came to New York City in July of 1863. Workers had no interest in joining the Union army and they also believed the draft laws were unfair. Many of rioters were Irish immigrants, and they could not afford the $300 required to pay the US Treasury in order to avoid being drafted. Many free Blacks were targets of the rioters as many shipping owners hired Blacks to be strike workers. A Black orphanage was burned down as was the Republican newspaper the NY Tribune.

Answer 4

The New York City Draft Riots took place from July 13 to July 16 of 1863.

The city's poor -- especially its Irish immigrants -- were very angry about being drafted to fight in the Civil War. The U.S. Civil War was an incredibly bloody one, which made being drafted seem like a death sentence. And the draft favored the rich, as anybody who was drafted could avoid going to war by paying $300 and finding a substitute to fight for him. Only the rich could afford to do that.

Furthermore, at the time the Irish were New York City's largest immigrant population. The immigrant population was especially angry about the draft, as they were often drafted to fight only a few weeks or months after they became citizens. They felt it was unfair that they were being asked to fight and die for a country that they had only just recently moved to. As the Irish were the largest immigrant population, their voices were the loudest.

Rioters blamed blacks for causing the Civil War, and they also feared that if the slaves were freed, they would come up north and take all of the working-class jobs.

The Draft Riots began on the morning of the first day of Draft Week (Monday, July 13, 1863). The riot started with the burning of the Draft offices, and lasted for three terrifying days. The rioters looted, smashed, and burned countless shops, offices, and homes of the rich. They attacked anyone and everyone who was either black, a policeman, or a well-dressed, rich-looking person. Countless blacks were brutally lynched in the streets, as the rioters blamed blacks for bringing about the Civil War. An orphanage for black children was even burned to the ground.

Answer 5

The city's poor were very angry about being drafted to fight in the Civil War. The U.S. Civil War was an incredibly bloody one, which made being drafted seem like a death sentence. The draft favored the rich, as anybody who was drafted could avoid going to war by paying $300 and finding a substitute to fight for him. Only the rich could afford to do that.

Rioters blamed blacks for causing the Civil War, and they also feared that if the slaves were freed, they would come up north and take all of the working-class jobs.

Answer 6

During the start of American Civil War in 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called upon volunteers in order to fight and preserve the Union against the newly formed Confederate southern states who started the war when they attacked Union troops stationed in Fort Summer, South Carolina. Two years after the Civil War begins, the North noticed they had shortage of manpower and they were look like as the Confederates were beginning, if not, win the war to stay separate from the United States of America and continued to brutally enslave the black population.

So the Federal government in Washington DC found a solution and passed the newly conscription act that drafted unmarried men of age 20-45 in order to fight in an ongoing American Civil War against the Confederacy. African-Americans weren't considered American citizens back then and were exempted. Many European immigrants, mostly Irish, were enraged when they heard of this draft. At that time, New York City had the largest Irish population of all European immigrants. Most of them moved to America to escape the Potato famine and harsh treatment from the British Crown.

The only way to avoid going into war was to pay a $300 fee or hired a substitute to take place for them. Most wealthy business man have all the money to pay $300 to avoid going into war to hired a substitute and the poor had to go to war and fight. Many European immigrants were angry about this as they see it as a rich men's war and a poor man's fight. The poor could not afford to have $300 because at that time they were only getting $2 a week for work. The Irish immigrants felt it was unfair as they recently moved to the USA for a better life. What fuels the immigrants the most was the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 that Lincoln said regarding the issue of black slavery, causing most of them to blame the blacks for the cause of the American Civil War and the Conscription Act. The poor Irish felt that the blacks that were freemen in the states of the North were their direct competition for the low-paying jobs that were available to them. This was a slap in the face to be forced to fight and die for the same people that they had no favor with.

In July 13, 1863, most of the crowd in New York City began gathering outside to hear their names drawn in the draft to fight for the Union. The mob decides to protest about the unfair treatment of the draft as they felt they were forced to fight in a war they didn't want to fight. At first, they originally wanted to target the draft but then something add fuel to the fire. Mobs begins to grow violent and attacked people that look like rich businessmen and buildings that they own. In addition to it, they also targeted blacks as like i stated felt that they were a threat to the jobs and cause of the American Civil War as well as the Conscription Act. They began lynching anyone that is black and any race that supported to them such as business owners, brothels, etc and so on. The mobs also burned down a Black orphanage leaving the patients homeless and killed. The riots would last from Monday to Friday, that's five days.

When the riots started, New York City barely had no military at all as the New York State National Guard was sent to assist and help Union troops in the bloody battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, leaving the New York City Police Department (NYPD) the only force to quell down the riot. The 800 men police force, only armed with revolvers and clubs, were no match for the 20,000 angry Irish New York City population and unable to stop the anarchy and killing all around the city. The New York City Fire Department (NYFD) did little much to put down the building fires as they were too targeted by the rioters.

The New York city officials began asking Lincoln for help and he finally agreed to send Federal troops to restore order. Union troops, 10 days fresh after seeing the bloodshed and horrors in Gettysburg, and the New York State National Guard arrived back to New York City 36 hours later after the riots started. Union commanders issued their troops to shoot down on rioters in case they pose threat to them, trying to loot businesses, and kill people. Union troops and rioters fought each other for a more than 24 hours until the riots finally calmed down when news reached all across the North that Washington DC had suspended the draft. More Federal troops all across the North were sent into New York City and finally the worst riot in American history was over.

By the time the riots ended, over 119 people were killed and thousands more were injured as a result. African-Americans and newly freed slaves were the high list of casualty rate in the riots and it drove most of the black population away from New York City. In addition, many of mobs were killed in result in a firefight with Union troops thanks to rifles and artillery guns.

Lincoln continued the draft despite the death toll and anger in the drafts riots in New York City. It also provide some changes. Many rich in the North began sending millions of their own money for draftees who refused to fight in a war they didn't believe in and it did for a very while.

The New York Draft Riots of 1863 was the culmination of racism, class workers, unfair treatment, economic reasons, and moral values that some people believed it was not right.

Answer 7

The majority were white working class males. Primarily the Irish-American working class, considering the Irish made up the bulk of that class in New York City, with German-Americans being the second most populous.

The rioters usually targeted the richer, upper class members who could afford to pay the $300 (USD) fee, which amounts to around $5,555 in today's money, to opt out of the draft and have a substitute take their place.

Answer 8

The poorer people didn't always want to fight. and the rich could buy their way out of the draft. The poor resented this and it led to the riots.

Answer 9

You needed $300 to be exempt from the draft, so the poor men subjected to the draft were angry that the rich did not have to serve during the Civil War.