NYC Draft Riot Lesson

The New York City Draft Riots, July 1863

A Lesson Plan developed by Kim Becker, Whitney Point Middle School.

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This website, http://www.vny.cuny.edu/draftriots/Intro/draft_riot_intro_set.html, offers a detailed narrative about the Draft Riots that broke out in New York City in July 1863 to protest a provision in the recently passed Union draft law that permitted wealthy individuals to escape their military obligation by finding a substitute or paying $300. Rioters, primarily working-class Irish, attacked African Americans, because they viewed them as the cause of the difficulties they faced in Civil War New York City.

Begin this activity by going to the Draft Riots website and read through the description of events over the course of the four days between the outbreak of the riots and the arrival of federal troops that brought the crowds under control. As you move through the reading, use the text and accompanying maps to help complete the worksheet for the "Scavenger Hunt Map Exercise." (See link below.)

After students have completed the Scavenger Hunt worksheet, they might be divided into groups, with each group assigned to answer a set of questions about each section of the Draft Riots narrative. Each group could answer questions related the Introduction, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, or Day 4 and aftermath. (See link below.) All could come together at the end, report on their responses, and together pose and answer questions about the significance of these events.

Student Worksheets

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY:

This activity will take students through the introduction of the Virtual site of the NYC Civil War Draft Riots of 1863.

1. The Union feared that the impending Battle at Gettysburg would have a definite impact on NYC. This caused many of the citizens of New York City to be afraid. What were they afraid would happen?

2. What effect would the National Conscription Act have on men in the North?

3. How could one’s economic status help in avoiding the draft lottery?

4. What two NYC social groups lived in conflict in the mid-1800’s? Why?

5. Describe the scene the morning of July 13, 1863. Be sure to include Who was involved, What was happening, Where the action is taking place, and Why the crowd was acting as it was.

6. What groups were the focus of much of the violence during the riots? Please be specific with Who was being attacked and Why.

Day 1:

7. Describe what happened at the Colored Orphans Asylum.

Day 2:

8. How did Republicans and Democrats differ on their views of the riots?

9. Why was Colonel O’Brien beaten to death?

10. What is unusual about the portrayal of the crowd in the second picture?

11. What materials were used to create barricades? (Use the book icon)

Day 3:

12. What happened to Abraham Franklin and his sister Henrietta?

13. How did the city Board of Alderman attempt to quell the rioters? (Use the book icon)

Day 4:

This part of the activity provides both scaffolding questions and culminating question.

Scaffolding Questions:

** Why did Governor Seymour call upon Bishop Hughes? How did Archbishop Hughes respond?

** What did the federal government do to secure peace in New York?

**Use engravings 1 and 2 to answer the following questions:
How did Harper's Weekly show bias in its coverage of the New York riots?

What effect do you think it may have had on the magazine's readers?

Culminating Question:

** (Speculate) If there were a large, on-going riot in a major U.S. city today, would a city official call upon a church leader for assistance? How much help would he or she be able to provide?

Aftermath:

14. How do "contemporaries" and "official" statistics differ in their evaluation of the conclusion of the riots?

15. How did Abraham Lincoln's decision not to declare marital law affect Democrats and Republicans in NYC?

Scavenger Hunt Exercise

Complete the chart below using the maps located on the Virtual NY Draft Riots Website.

Event	Location	Brief Summary	Day
Attack on Colored Orphans Asylum	5th Ave. & 43rd St		1
Attack on Armory	2nd Ave. & 21st St.		1
Attack on draft office	3rd Ave. & 46th St.		1
** Murder of Colonel Henry O'Brien			2
Murder of Ann Derickson	11 Worth St.		2
Brooks Bros. sacked	7th Ward		2
Murders of William H. Nichols & Joseph Reed	147 East 28th St.		3
The Final Battle	22nd - 31st Streets		4

African Americans and the Civil War | Summer 2002 Workshop