Post AXv6DXIlp25wLdN1rE by flyswatter@mastodon.world
(DIR) More posts by flyswatter@mastodon.world
(DIR) Post #AXv6D1aNk1AVyzMdrk by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T21:43:22Z
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A significant number of white Americans opposed fighting in a civil war that would grant freedom to Black Americans. Their concern was former slaves, whom they considered inferior, would compete for jobs at lower wages. Consequently, in July of 1863, a white mob, furious with conscription, targeted Black New Yorkers in an attempt to eradicate them from the landscape. The Union was not as united as it is often portrayed.1/@blackmastodon@a.gup.pe @BlackMastodon@chirp.social #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC
(DIR) Post #AXv6D2OiirR0V6uqKO by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T21:45:36Z
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On the morning of July 13, 1863, a crowd gathered near Central Park and marched down 5th Avenue. The target of their rage was the Colored Orphan Asylum, established by Quaker women in 1836, as they were envious of the care and support it provided to orphaned Black children.2/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6D3BHoIHavjdd1k by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T21:46:12Z
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According to surviving records from the New-York Historical Society, "On the 13th of July at 4 PM, an infuriated mob... surrounded the Asylum and 500 of them entered the premises... they intentionally set fire to it... solely because it housed innocent colored orphan children."3/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6D3uJ6uINBMhaCW by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T21:47:42Z
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Despite the arson, over two hundred children managed to escape and found safety in a local police precinct. They were later relocated to Blackwells Island, now known as Roosevelt Island. During that violent week, not all children were fortunate enough to survive the tragic events.4/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6D4l7wWXvpBPlWy by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T21:48:49Z
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One young child was brutally beaten by a group of white men at Lexington and 28th, succumbing to their injuries the following week. Another child, accompanied by their grandmother, also fell victim to the merciless actions of the mob.The situation leading up to the orphanage's burning took a deeply racial turn, with the mob displaying signs reading "No draft" and creating a cacophony of noise by beating pans together.5/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6D5UrCV7s70oHoG by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T21:51:56Z
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During the Civil War's onset, the draft wheel served as a life-or-death lottery, determining the fate of eligible men. Their names were written on slips of paper and placed into a hole on the wheel. An official would then spin the wheel and draw names to fill the ranks of the Union Army.6/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6D6I8FIXcZprdc8 by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T21:53:50Z
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To numerous whites, the draft represented being compelled to participate in a war aimed at ending slavery, an idea they strongly objected to. Some expressed their defiance, declaring, "Do not bring me into this 'nigger war.' I do not want to fight that war. I do not want to fight a war on behalf of the freedom of Black people."9/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6D767FSWX4rFYWW by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T21:58:50Z
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As the mob reached Midtown, its numbers swelled to 100s, storming the draft office. They vandalized the draft wheel, setting it ablaze, and unleashed acts of violence.The July 18th, 1863 edition of The NY Times reported: "A mob invaded the draft office at 3rd Ave & 46th street, causing destruction to books and papers, assaulting officers with brickbats and stones, overpowering the police, and setting fire to the entire block."10/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory
(DIR) Post #AXv6D7ryNWnxTHdm7M by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:03:02Z
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Following the attack on the Colored Orphan Asylum, the mob vehemently resisted efforts of the fire department, police officers, and others who attempted to extinguish the fires. The situation escalated as more joined the melee.By 4 PM, the mob’s anger intensified as they armed themselves.NY Times reported that over 1000 armed men, carrying guns, clubs, pistols, and knives, began scouring houses in search of Blacks, vowing vengeance against them.11/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #history
(DIR) Post #AXv6D8d7YEWDpVhQbg by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:04:33Z
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For Black people in Manhattan that Monday, going to work meant entering a terrifying and perilous environment. They encountered attacks on their way home, at their workplaces, and even within their own homes. This marked a significant shift from draft protesting to targeted racial violence.12/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6D9HB9IYrpkRQ2q by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:08:25Z
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The NY Times provided a harrowing account, stating that it seemed widely understood throughout the city that Black people should be attacked wherever they were found, regardless of any provocation. Upon being spotted, whether on a cart, a railroad car, or in the street, they would immediately be set upon by crowds of hostile men and boys. Unless they managed to seek refuge, they would be ruthlessly beaten or killed.13/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DA2KK0H8ByV4XA by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:12:29Z
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David Barnes, a member of the all-white police force at the time, provided a detailed account of the riots in his work "The Draft Riots in New York, July 1863." He described how the riots, initially driven by opposition to the draft, rapidly transformed into a rampage of pillaging and violence against the Black population.14/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DAjvht9aNCttUu by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:13:10Z
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According to Barnes, the mob burned down 50 buildings in just three days, including the Colored Orphan Asylum, two police stations, and an entire block of dwellings on Broadway. Business in the city came to a halt, with transportation suspended, stores closed, and roaming gangs of ruffians making the streets unsafe.15/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DBW8odiamjSOe0 by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:16:52Z
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On July 15th, 1863, The NY Herald published an article titled "The Vengeance of the Mob Against the Negroes." It included a quote from an older, unnamed Black man who mourned the loss of lives and property due to the actions of a thieving crowd. The man responded that there was nowhere safe to go, as any gathering of Black people would face similar trouble. He concluded that they were only safe when together among themselves. 16/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory
(DIR) Post #AXv6DCGw0f9H7rLla4 by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:19:07Z
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The New York City draft riots marked the largest insurrection in U.S. history, with Black Americans as the primary targets.. Contemporary newspaper reports documented some of the horrifying incidents.A Black man was brutally beaten and forced into the East River, presumed to have drowned as his injuries prevented him from swimming. In another incident, an elderly Black woman was viciously attacked and badly beaten in the sixth ward.17/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory
(DIR) Post #AXv6DCuHeMcl5tlBui by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:20:44Z
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An additional account detailed the hanging and immolation of William Jones, a wood-sawyer residing on King Street. Tragically, many murders went unreported, as Black men, women, and children, old and young, were hunted and herded like sheep—-then tortured, robbed, maimed, and murdered. Black New Yorkers fled the city in fear for their lives. They faced violence at every turn, and unknown numbers lost their lives without any record.18/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory
(DIR) Post #AXv6DDhYhA2VYioXia by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:25:30Z
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So, why couldn’t Black New Yorkers effectively fight back:In addition to being greatly outnumbered ( the population of Black New Yorkers in 1860 was just 12,500 compared with a white population of 814,000), they were scattered across the terrain.In 1857, Seneca Village, a predominantly Black community was destroyed to make way for Central Park. Mayor Fernando Wood used eminent domain to justify this devastating obliteration.19/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory
(DIR) Post #AXv6DEN2CxDTdMDfMm by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:27:25Z
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The establishment of Central Park forced Black New Yorkers to disperse and seek refuge in other Black communities such as Sandy Ground in Staten Island and Skunk Hollow in New Jersey. This dispersion of Black residents left them vulnerable during riots, as the lack of a central gathering place hindered their ability to form a cohesive defense against mobs targeting their homes and lives.20/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DFC59A38Bg6Qvw by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:29:31Z
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With Black people scattered throughout Manhattan, they found themselves easily overwhelmed by the mob during the 4-day draft riots. Seeking safety, some Black individuals turned to Weeksville, a Black-American neighborhood in Brooklyn founded by freed slaves in the 19th century. The ownership of land and access to firearms allowed them to protect their community21/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DFz0DHBIdOzVBY by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:31:29Z
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The New York Daily Tribune, highlighted the displacement of Black New Yorkers after the riots. Forced to find refuge in various places, they sought safety in locations like Blackwells Island, police stations, the outskirts of the city, swamps and woods near Bergen, New Jersey, as well as Weeksville. Additionally, some took shelter in barns and outhouses belonging to farmers on Long Island and Morrisania.22/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DGgxZqLKpjYbhY by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:33:29Z
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The reasons behind the anti-Black rage during the Draft Riots can be attributed to various factors. New York had the second-highest Black-American population among Northern cities, and local politicians aligned with the Southern cause spread anti-Black propaganda, reinforcing racist beliefs that portrayed Black people as intellectually and morally inferior, even suggesting they were a subspecies of the human race.23/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DHUEcdl5IYbxVQ by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:37:25Z
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The Draft Riots exposed the deep-seated racism among white New Yorkers, as immigrant residents feared competition from freed Black workers for jobs, which they believed threatened their social status and economic position.These riots revealed that even those who opposed slavery didn’t view Black people as equal. Many regarded NYC as the most Southern of Northern states, and pro-slavery advocates, known as Copperheads, were present.24/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory
(DIR) Post #AXv6DICtwZUHX5Vd7w by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:38:54Z
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Historians have emphasized the severity of the disorder. The large and cohesive Irish population in the city, including figures like Archbishop John Hughes, played a role in the participation and blame associated with the riots.Irish Catholics in both the North and South did not oppose slavery, as reflected in their uniform rejection of abolitionism and those who supported it, as seen in the Catholic and Irish press.25/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DIu9Lm59hDkAXQ by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:40:15Z
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In 1862, Archbishop John Hughes predicted that his followers would be disheartened and withdraw in disapproval if forced to fight for emancipation.Although there was a gradual shift in Vatican sympathies against slavery, Archbishop Hughes and other American clergy remained firm in their opposition to abolition, as they feared endangering the Catholic Church's delicate position in the United States.26/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DJewXnVq2LdXTU by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:43:25Z
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And then there were the Copperheads:The Copperheads were a faction of Northern Democrats during the American Civil War who opposed the war and sought a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. They were also known as Peace Democrats and were critical of President Abraham Lincoln and his policies, particularly his emphasis on emancipation and the abolition of slavery. 27/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DKOJp5oCJ4rmCW by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:45:25Z
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The term “Copperheads” originated as a derogatory nickname for the faction of Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War. The name “Copperheads” was a reference to the venomous snake of the same name, known for its copper-red color and its deadly bite. The Copperheads’ opponents used the name to imply that the group’s activities were harmful to the Union cause and that their actions were akin to the snake’s bite. 28/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DLD0mcMGqIaGDQ by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:46:55Z
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Despite its negative connotations, some members of the Copperhead faction adopted the name as a badge of honor and defiance. The NY Copperheads were accused of sympathizing with the Southern cause and were seen as pro-Confederate or anti-Union. They were were vocal in their opposition to the war effort, advocating for an end to hostilities and a return to pre-war conditions.29/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DOWyQr6n94wkFM by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:49:10Z
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The city was heavily influenced by these Copperheads, and military and police protection remained weak. A marine detachment of 50 men attempted to disperse the mob on the first day using blank cartridges but ended up being viciously attacked themselves, resulting in some fatal injuries. The mob cutting telegraph wires and disabling railway ties to hinder communication for reinforcements from Manhattan.30/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DPFzjT7ZOi0hQ8 by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:53:49Z
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The most severe mobs were concentrated on 1st, 2nd, and 7th Avenues, leading to numerous lynchings, including drownings in the East River, a boy pushed through a window, and a man hanged from a lamppost.Police estimated that at least 1000 people were killed during the riots. The county supervisors’ committee, responsible for assessing property damage claims, approved over a million dollars in payments by end of 1863. 31/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DQ7sV8Ds5pDjPM by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:55:06Z
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However, despite losing land, homes, and loved ones, Black people received very little, if any, of that financial assistance. They were neglected and left to suffer the consequences of being expelled from the city, murdered, or deprived of their homes and property.32/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DQzlGnKAmwQlOa by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:57:56Z
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In Martin Scorsese’s film “Gangs of New York,” when depicting the Draft Riots, the violence is portrayed as primarily white-on-white, with only one scene featuring the lynching of a Black person, obscuring the reality of the events.33/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DRqa6PZjQl8wj2 by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T22:59:33Z
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A significant reason why much of this early Black history remains unknown in New York City is due to the overshadowing effect of 20th-century history, particularly the Harlem Renaissance, which witnessed a remarkable flourishing of Black life. Consequently, the history of the 19th century, including the New York City Draft Riots, has been somewhat obscured. 34/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DSc5FnZZo5Mslc by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T23:03:36Z
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Another contributing factor is limited awareness of the myth of a 'triumphant North' ending slavery. New York City's economic and political ties to the South, or complex, and many residents depended on Southern slavery for their livelihoods. The city's involvement in the textile industry through its port, driven in part by cotton, added to the complexity of its stance during the Civil War.35/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DTOeLEQAEi5fSy by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T23:05:15Z
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Why I spent so much time on the New York City draft riots: because it assists us in understanding how Americans have navigated race in the past and today.The New York City draft riots were the American blueprint for fomenting white mob violence against Black people by opportunistic, unethical politicians. 36/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DUF7CAO8rQdZFA by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T23:09:53Z
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The New York City draft riots of 1863 served as a blueprint from which others borrowed, and it occurred 50 years before the Tulsa riots and before other major race massacres. While such disturbances were more common in the South, the New York City draft riots stand as an essential precursor to these tragic events.37/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DV22GHWJJ9WdUm by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T23:12:40Z
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The New York City’s, draft riots, and their aftermath, also revealed how resolute Black Americans showed perseverance and resilience as they rebuilt their lives in the aftermath of the deadliest insurrection in American history.38/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC #BlackHistory #StillWeRise
(DIR) Post #AXv6DVnXPfW9gTkZXM by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T23:13:35Z
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Sources:Anbinder, Tyler. Five Points; The 19th-Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World’s Most Notorious Slum.Hodges, Graham. Desirable Companions and Lovers: Irish and African Americans in the Sixth Ward, 1830-1870,”Hueston, Robert Francis. The Catholic Press and NativismMeagher, Timothy. Columbia Guide to Irish America. Columbia University Press, New York. 2005. https://thomasnastcartoons.com/irish-catholic-cartoons/new-york-draft-riots-of-1863/?fbclid=IwAR0WNEoKAXHx1LC7gH66ird5vE95pBMaCUh-OYIoCC07qfTqvqzbr3KCGfw_aem_ATJe2MfhOPeMy7Bc4PUHEnHSLgPHOuWsxS-1qox67bkoR61DyzQfGHHg1xiW5pt3mxk51/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History
(DIR) Post #AXv6DWWYiHWvw6oWi8 by Deglassco@mastodon.social
2023-07-20T23:14:12Z
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More BooksHarris, Leslie M. In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863. University of Chicago Press; New edition, October 1, 2004. Man, Jr., Alvin . “Competition and the New York Draft Riots of 1863.” The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 36, No. 4 (Oct., 1951): 375-405.Sandburg, Carl. Abraham Lincoln-the War Years. New York, 1941, I, 620, 621.Woodson, Carter G. A Century of Negro Migration. Washington, 1918.52/ #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #NYC
(DIR) Post #AXv6DXIlp25wLdN1rE by flyswatter@mastodon.world
2023-07-21T13:10:10Z
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@Deglassco Thank you for this.
(DIR) Post #AXv6P4p5WzmpUuzQzw by RagnaJa@mstdn.social
2023-07-21T05:20:03Z
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@Deglassco thank you!