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To: Non-Sequitur
The New York Draft Riots (July 13 to July 16, 1863; known at the time as Draft Week[2]) were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself.[3] President Abraham Lincoln sent several regiments of militia and volunteer troops to control the city. Although not the majority, many of those arrested had Irish names, according to the lists compiled by Adrian Cook in his Armies of the Streets. The rioters were overwhelmingly working class men, resentful because they believed the draft unfairly affected them while sparing wealthier men, who could afford to pay a $300.00 Commutation Fee to exclude themselves from its reach. Initially intended to express anger at the draft, the protests turned ugly and degraded into "a virtual racial pogrom, with uncounted numbers of blacks murdered on the streets". The conditions in the city were such that Major General John E. Wool stated on July 16, "Martial law ought to be proclaimed, but I have not a sufficient force to enforce it."[4] The military suppressed the mob using artillery and fixed bayonets, but not before numerous buildings were ransacked or destroyed, including many homes and an orphanage for black children.

All the freedom loving NY people expressed their anger to the Civil War draft. They were met with artillery fire. Take that "freeing the slaves stuff" and tell you liberal teachers that it wasn't really about slaves.....

206 posted on 03/31/2010 3:25:09 PM PDT by ScreamingFist
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To: ScreamingFist
All the freedom loving NY people expressed their anger to the Civil War draft. They were met with artillery fire. Take that "freeing the slaves stuff" and tell you liberal teachers that it wasn't really about slaves.....

And when the freedom loving women of Richmond protested the high cost of food, Davis threatened to turn the troops out on them. Link

220 posted on 03/31/2010 5:33:01 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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