[War & Business] Draft Riots

An illustration from the British media London News at the time depicting the four-day draft resistance protest held in New York from July 13 to 16, 1863 [Image source= New York Historical Society]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Even in the United States, where conscription was only selectively implemented during major wars, there is a history of large-scale protests erupting due to public outrage over inequality in military service. The most representative incident is the New York City Draft Riots that occurred in July 1863, commonly referred to as the "Draft Riots." This event originated from a massive protest by Irish-American whites, who suffered the most casualties in the Civil War, against the inequality of the conscription system.

At that time, the Abraham Lincoln administration implemented conscription as troop losses increased during the Civil War. All men aged 20 to 45 within the United States were subject to the draft. However, a military exemption system was also introduced, allowing individuals to avoid conscription by paying $300, which sparked controversy. The average monthly income of the American middle class at the time was about $200, making $300 a significant amount that was difficult for the lower class to afford. Although the U.S. House of Representatives criticized the system as excessively unfair, the draft was passed along with the war budget due to urgent financial needs.

The wealthy, for whom $300 was not a significant burden, all received exemptions from military service. Notable figures such as industrialists Andrew Carnegie and JP Morgan, who were on the draft list, as well as prominent political figures like James Roosevelt, father of the future 32nd U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, paid to avoid conscription. The poor, who could not afford the fee, were inevitably dragged to the battlefield and sacrificed.

The Irish immigrants’ outrage peaked immediately after the announcement of the casualty list from the Battle of Gettysburg on July 12, 1863. The Battle of Gettysburg, known as the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, resulted in about 30,000 casualties, most of whom were Irish. Amidst the tense public mood, New York City announced an additional draft list the following day, which again mostly included poor Irish immigrants.

Enraged by this, about 50,000 Irish residents of New York City launched massive protests and riots. Over four days, more than 3,000 casualties occurred in New York. The riots were barely suppressed by New York regiment soldiers returning from the Battle of Gettysburg. Only after this riot did the U.S. government and the upper class establish a system to hire substitutes for the poor and begin fundraising. Investment banks on Wall Street also pledged funds to support the federal army’s organization, which finally eased the controversy over inequality.

The conscription system during the five years of the Civil War caused significant controversy, and in Korean society, where conscription has lasted for over a thousand years, sensitivity to military service inequality is even greater. This is why public sentiment is shaken whenever cases of so-called "emperor service" by children of the powerful, still practiced under the name of tradition, come to light.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.