This paper is about the New York City Draft Riots of 1863 and the issues they highlighted.
This paper discusses the events and effects of July of 1863, when a major four-day eruption of violence occurred in New York as a result of the passage of the Conscription Act. The draft riots represented a period in American history when government focus was on social conflict. The author illustrates how the riots highlighted two explosive issues in mid-century New York: Relations between the wealthy and the poor and between blacks and whites.
“The main participants in the New York City draft riots were Irish Catholic immigrants, although some were native-borns, German-Americans, and Protestants. A history of conflict between the Irish immigrants and the blacks was a strong motive for much of the riot’s violent acts. In 1845 a potato famine hit Ireland, destroying the only food supply of millions of poor Irish farmers. This potato famine caused 2.5 million people to leave Ireland within the next ten years . These millions of poor Irish were moved into the Five Points, an area with many African-Americans due to the low cost. Racial tension began to mount, as the two groups were thrown into bitter competition for the worst dwellings and lowest-paying jobs . ”