Draft Riots of 1863

Riots in New York City that left at least eighteen dead, thousands injured, and caused millions of dollars in property damage. The July 1863 riots were sparked by unrest among the poorer classes, especially Irish immigrants, who were angered when the United States instituted a draft to conscript soldiers for the Union army during the Civil War.

Morale in the Union army was low in 1862 and 1863. The Confederate army of the South seemed to be winning the war, and the North was having great difficulty recruiting new soldiers, even though the Union army offered bonuses of up to $1,000.

On March 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln and Congress instituted a military draft to conscript new soldiers for the Union army, with all white men ages twenty to forty-five eligible for the draft pool. However, individuals could be excused if they paid a $300 fee.

This exemption fee was more than a year's pay to many working men, especially the Irish immigrants in New York City, who had a difficult time finding even menial, low-paying jobs because of discrimination against the Irish. These workers also feared that emancipated slaves from the South would move north and take the few jobs available.

The resentment of the immigrants erupted into violence in the summer of 1863. Antiwar newspapers in New York City inflamed readers against fighting for the emancipation of blacks and published stories about the unfairness of allowing wealthy individuals to buy their way out of the draft.

The first draft lottery was held in New York City on Saturday, July 11. For the next twenty-four hours, the city remained quiet. However, early on Monday morning, July 13, the Irish slums of the city began to fill with rioters—men, women, and children. Thousands of these protesters marched to Central Park, where they listened to speeches railing against the Civil War, emancipation, and the draft.

Over the course of five days, up to 50,000 rioters roamed the streets, attacking people and businesses throughout New York City. Some African Americans were lynched. Other individuals of all races and classes were beaten. Federal offices and other municipal buildings were targeted by the mob.

Rioters attacked anyone with dark skin. Peter Heuston, a Mohawk Indian, was found by the mob in the streets after dark and beaten so badly that he died in Bellevue Hospital four days later. Rioters hunted African Americans, and many black families were burned out of their homes; others were lynched.

The rioters set fire to the city's Colored Orphan Asylum, where about 230 children, ages four to twelve, were living. The matron and the superinten-Dent of the orphanage were able to move the children to safety at a nearby police station before an infuriated mob stripped the orphanage of its furniture and other contents and burned it to the ground.

Union soldiers, fresh from battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, arrived in New York City to restore order on July 17. It took ten Union army regiments to quell the rioting and regain control in the city, and this finally required firing on the rioters.

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