Causes And Effects Of The Draft Riots

During the American Civil War in 1863, Congress passed a law which made all men between the ages of 20 and 45 responsible for service in the military. Their attempt to enforce this draft triggered a disastrous disturbance in New York City. Many innocent African Americans were killed and their homes were taken away from them. The draft riots were the deadliest riots in America, and they had many causes and effects. A major cause of the draft riots would be the economic, political, and social tension between the cultures existing in New York. Immigrants came to America because they were promised that they would lead good lives, but this turned out to be false. They had found misery instead of the “American Dream.” The riots were a violent protest against the rich for the immigrants and working class (“New York City Draft Riots”). In addition, there was a lot of social tension since there was many ethnic groups living in New York. The city contained may races, nationalities, and religions that did not blend and did not get along. Also, the economy was connected to the South’s economy which consisted of slavery and the cotton industry, which is why New York businesses were very interested in continuing slavery and the southern systems. “Draft Riot of 1863”). All in all, the tensions that existed in the city were a major part of the draft riots.

Most of the races in the lower classes competed for similar jobs. Native New Yorkers believed that the Irish immigrants were taking away all of the “good” jobs because they were willing to work for less money. The Irish worried that the African Americans in the city would take their jobs because they would work for even lower wages (“The New York City Draft Riots of 1863”). There was a lot of distrust between the ethnicities in New York because of the demand for work, and this was a big part of causing the draft