Draft Riots Erupt: New York's Deadliest Uprising
New York's Draft Riots began on July 13, 1863, when working-class mobs attacked the Provost Marshal's office to protest a new conscription law that allowed wealthy men to buy their way out of service for $300. The violence quickly turned racial: rioters burned the Colored Orphan Asylum, lynched Black men from lampposts, and destroyed African American homes and businesses across lower Manhattan. For three days, police and militia were overwhelmed. Federal troops, some arriving directly from Gettysburg, finally restored order. Estimates of the dead range from 120 to over 1,000. The riots exposed the explosive intersection of class resentment, racial hatred, and opposition to the Civil War.
July 13, 1863
163 years ago
Key Figures & Places
New York City
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United States history
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conscription
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New York Draft Riots
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history of the United States
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New York City draft riots
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American Civil War
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New York City draft riots
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New York City
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Conscription
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Union
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