New York Draft Riots

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:New York Draft Riots - Project Gutenberg eText 16960.jpg The New York Draft Riots in (New York City, July 13 - July 16, 1863) began as protests against President Abraham Lincoln's Enrollment Act of Conscription drafting men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. Considered by some to be the worst civil unrest in American history, the riots included 50,000 participants and lasted four days, claiming hundreds of lives and destroying property valued at more than $1,500,000 (approximately $27 mil. in today’s money). The civil police force could not contain the violent demonstration, so federal troops, who marched from the battlefield of Gettysburg, had to intervene to restore civil order. Most of the rioters were Irish Americans, whose conduct was criticized by their Catholic bishop.

1 Background
2 Police action and intervention by Federal troops
3 Death toll and damage
4 References
5 Fictional portrayals
6 External links

[edit]

Background

The pressing need for more troops to fight in the Civil War had compelled Congress to pass a conscription act (March 3, 1863), authorizing the President to recruit the army whenever necessary by a draft from "all able-bodied male citizens" between the ages of 20 and 45 years. Copperheads were dismayed by the news. Their main objection was to national service of any kind, but in terms of rhetoric they attacked the provision allowing men drafted to pay a $300.00 "commutation fee" to procure exemption from service, thereby excluding the wealthier classes from the hazards of war. In actuality, the draft was designed to spur voluntary enlistment; very few men were drafted into service-- only 8,000 nationwide.

The first drawing was held, without opposition, on Saturday, July 11, 1863. On Sunday some drafted workingmen, aided by a number of political agitators, fomented the discontent of the populace and organized an opposition to enrollment. The draft was renewed at 10 A. M. on Monday, but the assistant provost marshal's office was soon attacked, demolished, and burned by a furious mob. Members of the fire department stood by and watched, angry that they had lost their exemption to the draft. The rioters initially targeted draft offices and police stations, but soon began to attack blacks. The rioters everywhere pursued the blacks with unrelenting rancor and brutally assaulted, tortured, and killed many that fell into their hands. The Colored Orphan Asylum was attacked, sacked, and burned. The Chief of Police was captured by the mob and badly beaten before he escaped, and the office of abolitionist newspaper editor Horace Greeley was destroyed. Image:Riot63.JPG

[edit]

Police action and intervention by Federal troops

The New York police forces proved unable to quell the riots. The police were badly outnumbered and had to focus on minimizing losses and rescuing those whom they could. Control of the city was not re-established until the hasty arrival of the 7th Regiment New York State Militia from Gettysburg after a forced march. By the 15th the mob still controlled scattered portions of the city, but by the morning of the sixteenth there were nearly 4,000 Federal troops in the city and the riot subsided.

[edit]

Death toll and damage

The exact death toll is unknown, but at least 100 people were killed and at least 300 more injured; property damage was about $1.5 million.

On August 19, the draft was resumed. It was completed within 10 days without further resistance.

[edit]

References

Official Records, volume xxvii, part ii (Washington, 1889)
Fry, New York and the Conscription of 1863, (New York, 1885)
Barnes, The Draft Riots in New York, (New York, 1863)
Iver Bernstein. The New York City Draft Riots: Their Significance for American Society and Politics in the Age of the Civil War by Iver Bernstein (1991)
Nicolay and Hay, Lincoln, volume vii, (New York, 1890)
Barnet Schecter, The Devil's Own Work: The Civil War Draft Riots and the Fight to Reconstruct America (2005)

[edit]