On July 11th eighteen sixty-three, America began the first nationwide military draft in order to fill the washed-out ranks of the Union Army. While many people in the country opposed the draft, it ran smooth, rebellion free in nearly every city; all except New York. The people of New York, in particularly Irish immigrants, felt the Conscription Act of 1863 was unconstitutional, and that a revolt was indeed necessary. The Conscription Act included a clause allowing …showed first 75 words of 1778 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1778 total…ffer from public criticism. The country seemed to have done all they could to change the war from a fight between the lower classes into a war amongst our entire nation. While even though these fervent rioters may have caused the biggest outbreak in our nation's history; their strikes were not great enough to change the speculation that the Civil War was a merely "rich man's war, and a poor man's fight". (Parton pgs. 96-98)