That afternoon, thousands of angry men and women looted the Colored Orphan Asylum (Fifth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets) and burned it to the ground.īy the afternoon, blacks started to become targets‚ the Colored Orphan Asylum (Fifth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets) was looted and burned down. On July 13, 1863, four days of violent rioting began, starting with an attack at a draft location at Third Avenue and 47th Street. Wealthy New Yorkers could pay $300 to hire a substitute to fight for them, but the Irish working class, many of whom were already threatened by blacks vying for similar jobs, were furious over the draft. But the real flashpoint was when Congress passed a law to draft men to fight in the the Civil War. In 1860, Mayor Fernando Wood even suggested seceding from the Union, proclaiming his support for the Confederacy, over concerns for the cotton trade (an important part of NYC revenue). While New York was part of the North and against slavery, many New Yorkers weren't that progressive towards blacks. From our Partners at Gothamist: Last night's episode highlighted the tensions between Irish immigrants and African-Americans in New York City‚ and the real-life incident of angry immigrants burning down the Colored Orphan Asylum.
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