New York City Draft Riots

The Enrollment Act angers people in New York City who don't believe in the Civil War.  Violence errupts, we'll discuss. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Anger and violence hit New York City. We'll discuss as
we take a bite out of history with Ingles Markets.
On March third, eighteen sixty three, the Enrollment Act was
passed in relation to the Civil War. A part of
the act allowed wealthy citizens to pay three hundred dollars
to not have to take part in the draft for
the Union Army. People throughout the North resented this act,
specifically the Democrat Irish, who felt the war was thrust
upon them. Some of the Democrat Irish also disagreed with

(00:22):
the Emancipation Act, fearing the formerly enslaved people would jeopardize
their jobs. The anger boiled over on July eleventh, when
the draft hit the Irish New Yorkers. In response, they
burned the draft office and riots broke out for a week.
Local newspapers, wealthy homes, police officers, and even well dressed
men were targeted. The riots took in an even more
serious turn as African Americans were also targeted. By July seventeenth,

(00:44):
the violence was finally subdued by Union troops, many coming
directly from the Battle of Gettysburg. More than one thousand
people died and property damage was estimated at over two
million dollars. Due to the riots, very few New Yorkers
were forced to serve in the Union Army. This has
been a bite out of history with ingles market