After Abraham Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, the Union’s reason for fighting the Civil War had completely changed. Previously, the war was being fought to keep the Confederate States as part of the United States of America. However, when President Lincoln freed the slaves in the Confederacy, the Union had suddenly begun fighting for the freedom of the slaves. A newspaper in Pennsylvania stated, “Willing to fight for Uncle Sam, but not for Uncle Sambo,” a derogatory term referring to African Americans. On March 3, 1863, the National Conscription Act was passed. Then, from July 1-3, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There were about 51,000 casualties in the Battle of Gettysburg. Although the Union won this battle, there were still other concerns.
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On March 3, 1863, the National Conscription Act was enacted, making all single men between the ages of 20 and 40 and married men up to 35 would be subject to the military draft. It was to be put into effect on July 11 of the same year. A part of the new act said that if a drafted man paid $300, they would be excused from service. But only rich men could afford to pay the government so much money. This instance gave rise to the phrase "rich man's war, poor man's fight."
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By this time, the African American population in the city was fairly developed, for churches and schools had already been established. Being a minority already, they competed with the rising African American population for mainly laborious jobs or jobs that don’t require skill. The Irish population was the most involved in the riots, for they felt their jobs were being threatened. After the Emancipation Proclamation which made it clear that the war was being fought for the freedom of the slaves, racism in the city grew more intense.
After the Emancipation Proclamation, Democrats tried to convince people, mostly the Irish, that the freed slaves would move north and take their jobs. Copperheads, an anti-war group within the Democrat Party, were particularly vocal about the draft riots, as they viewed it unfair and a threat to civil rights. Democrats also tried to denounce the Republican party which was gradually gaining strength. The governor at the time, Horatio Seymour, said that he would challenge the draft laws in court. Opposition to the draft law was growing strong, and it reached its peak on July 13, 1683 - the first day of the New York City Draft Riots.
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