5.2. The New York City Draft Riots http://www.ck12.org
“The Popular Tumult” –New York Herald
Source: Excerpt from “The Popular Tumult.” New York Herald, Wednesday, July 16, 1863.
The crowd in one neighborhood turned their attention to the Chinese who live there. The Celestials [Chinese] had
been found guilty of being united to white wives, and their headquarters were destroyed. The Chinamen escaped,
but in some instances their wives have not followed them.
THE POPULAR TUMULT
Question:
- According to this document, what did rioters do during the Draft Riots of 1863?
The Riots at New York
Source: “The Riots at New York," Harper’s Weekly, Aug. 1, 1863
Sated with blood, the rioters now turned their attention to looting. A drug-store close by was destroyed, the doors
and windows being smashed in with clubs and stones. One fellow rushed out with a closely-packed suitcase, which
he opened in the street. The clothes and other things contained in it were eagerly seized and contended for by boys
and women standing around. There were a number of letters in it, and some documents, which were probably of
value to the owner; but these were savagely torn and trampled under foot by the disappointed plunderers. A woman
sat upon the steps nearby, and read out parts of one of the letters to the cheers of her lowly companions.
SACKING OF A DRUG-STORE
Question:
- According to this document, what did rioters do during the Draft Riots of 1863?
The Riots at New York
Source: “The Riots at New York," Harper’s Weekly, Aug. 1, 1863
[ BURNING OF THE COLORED ORPHAN ASYLUM ]
The Orphan Asylum for Colored Children was visited by the mob about four o’clock. Hundreds, and perhaps
thousands of the rioters, the majority of whom were women and children, entered the premises, and in the most
excited and violent manner they ransacked and plundered the building from cellar to attic. The building was located
in the most pleasant and healthy portion of the city. It was purely a charitable institution. In it there are on an average
600 or 800 homeless colored orphans.