The New York Draft Riots of 1863: Whites Riot When They Are Drafted Into a Civil War That Rich Whites Could Pay To Avoid

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SLIDE SHOW: New York City Draft Riots.

The New York Draft Riots take place on July 13 through July 16, 1863. The riots were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The rioters, who were mostly working class whites, were particularly angered over the fact that wealthy whites could legally avoid the draft by paying a $300 fee. The New York Draft Riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself.

The Film "Gangs of New York" - Draft Riots Scene

Initially intended to express anger at the draft, the protests turned ugly and turned into "a virtual racial pogrom, with uncounted numbers of blacks murdered on the streets." The military suppressed the mob using artillery and fixed bayonets, but not before numerous buildings were ransacked or destroyed, including many homes and an orphanage for black children. Blacks who fell into the mob's hands were often beaten, tortured, and/or killed.

Some have put the number of killed and wounded at 2,000 and 8,000, respectively.

SOURCE: Wikipedia - Find out more.