The New York Draft Riots of 1863: A Violent Example of History’s Protests

Jasmine Wilson
Junior Division
Individual Website
 The New York Draft Riots of 1863 lasted for three days. They were a violent form of
protest against the recently passed Conscription Acts that impacted working-class white males
in New York. Infuriated that they were targeted, Irish immigrants protested by looting, burning
buildings, and attacking freed African-Americans.

I discovered this topic and was immediately interested. I have always been interested in
the Civil War era and conflict during the time, so this topic seemed like a perfect opportunity for
a learning experience.

At first, I did not know where to start when conducting my research. My topic was not a
very popular one, and I knew that it was going to be difficult to find valid sources. I started by
searching for my topic on JSTOR. Here, I found two of my most useful sources: two journals by
Albon P. Man Jr. The two journals answered many commonly asked questions, including why
the Irish were angry. Next, I found a set of primary sources on the Digital Public Library of
America. In the set I came across a brochure that was distributed following the riots in an
attempt to prevent further violent breakouts. It was titled “Don’t Unchain the Tiger”, and
encouraged citizens against protests. I also discovered a source written by an unknown citizen
describing the riots. This was very helpful in my research as well because it gave me the
perspective of an outside eye. I also found a helpful book by Leslie M. Harris that provided a lot
of information about the reasons for the riots.

I decided to do a website because I realized that in this constantly evolving age of

technology, this format would be an interesting way to present my work. A website is a simple
way for me to display the information in an organized and neat manner. The National History
Day project helped me develop research skills and taught me a lesson about procrastination.

The New York Draft Riots of 1863 connect to this year’s topic, Conflict and Compromise,
because the rioting and violent acts of protests were neutralized and the government reduced
the number of drafted men from 26,000 to 12,000 in an attempt to compromise with the rioters
of the city. The rioters wanted to be heard, and their protests resulted in a compromise.