About this episode

The episode explores the events of July 13, 1863, when a mob of Irish immigrants rioted in New York City over class grievances related to the Civil War draft.

On July 13, 1863, a mob of Irish immigrants burned New York City, and they weren't entirely wrong about why. The Civil War draft exempted anyone who could pay $300, and for the working poor, that clause was nothing less than a declaration that some lives cost more than others. Richard Backus examines how a legitimate class grievance became a race massacre, why the Irish community itself was split down the middle over the riots, and what this moment reveals about the enduring mechanism by which economic fear becomes racial violence.

People in this episode

Host: Richard Backus

Topics covered

• Irish immigrants
• Civil War
• class grievance
• racial violence
• economic fear
• New York City riots

Mentioned in this episode

Places: New York City

More episodes of The Daily History Chronicle

• The Scopes Monkey Trial Was Staged - July 21, 1925 · July 21, 2026 · 15 min
• Citizenship By Force - July 20. 1868 · July 20, 2026 · 17 min
• Rome Burns, Christians Die - July 19, 64 AD · July 19, 2026 · 17 min
• The Bridge That Ended a Kennedy Presidency - July 18, 1969 · July 18, 2026 · 16 min
• The Mutiny That Wasn't - July 17, 1944 · July 17, 2026 · 18 min
• One Man Split Christianity Forever - July 16, 1054 · July 16, 2026 · 19 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Daily History Chronicle podcast page.