Northern Draft Riots During the Civil War

In July of 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Americans were fighting on battlefields across the country—Vicksburg, Gettysburg, and New York City. The latter battle, which became known as the New York Draft Riots, was not a fight between Union and Confederate troops, however. The three-day riot was the destructive resistance of the city’s immigrant poor against a Congressional mandate that made all men aged twenty to forty-five eligible for the draft—and had a provision that let the rich buy their way out. The fighting left over one hundred people dead and buildings, homes, and orphanages destroyed. In particular, the mob of lower-class workers and immigrant gangs attacked African Americans and the city’s rich before the draft was postponed and militias quelled the violence. This source set brings together illustrations and texts showing the riots and their aftermath.

Chicago citation style
Hillary Brady. Northern Draft Riots During the Civil War. 2016. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, https://production.dp.la/primary-source-sets/northern-draft-riots-during-the-civil-war. (Accessed March 19, 2024.)
APA citation style
Hillary Brady, (2016) Northern Draft Riots During the Civil War. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, https://production.dp.la/primary-source-sets/northern-draft-riots-during-the-civil-war
MLA citation style
Hillary Brady. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America <https://production.dp.la/primary-source-sets/northern-draft-riots-during-the-civil-war>.
Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.