The New York City Draft Riot of 1863

The New York City Draft Riot wasn’t just about avoiding war—it was about avoiding justice. In 1863, white mobs turned the streets of Manhattan into a war zone, furious at being drafted into a fight to end slavery. But instead of just targeting the government, they turned their rage on Black residents—lynching, burning homes, and destroying lives. What started as anger over class turned into pure racial terror. The truth is, it exposed the raw nerve of American hypocrisy: fighting for freedom overseas while denying it at home. And like a lot of U.S. history, it’s a chapter most folks never learned about—but should have.