Detroit race riot of 1863 facts for kids

The Detroit race riot of 1863 happened on March 6, 1863, in Detroit, Michigan. This event took place during the American Civil War. A local newspaper called the Detroit Free Press said it was "the bloodiest day that ever dawned upon Detroit." The riot started because of problems among working-class people. These issues included racism and the military draft. The draft was a new law that made men join the army. Tensions grew after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This order declared many enslaved people free.

Detroit was in a free state. Some new immigrants and other workers were upset about being drafted. They felt the war was mainly for the benefit of enslaved people in the Southern United States. They also worried that free Black people would compete for jobs. During the riot, two people died, one white and one Black. Many others, mostly African Americans, were hurt. About 35 buildings were burned down, and many more were damaged. Black residents lost their belongings and money because of the chaos. The damage was estimated to be at least US$15,000 to US$20,000. Over 200 people, mostly Black, lost their homes. The Michigan government suggested helping the victims, but the Detroit City Council said no. After the riot, Detroit created a full-time police force.

Why the Riot Started: Rising Tensions

In the months before the riot, social tensions grew in Detroit. The city had mostly white residents. But it also had a strong Black community. This community included free Black people who had moved there. It also had formerly enslaved people who had escaped from the South. Detroit was a key stop on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. Many formerly enslaved people chose to live in Detroit because Michigan did not allow slavery.

Newspaper Views and Public Opinion

The City Council was mostly made up of Democrats. Many Irish and German immigrants supported this party. The Detroit Free Press was a Democratic newspaper. It did not support President Abraham Lincoln's handling of the Civil War. It also disliked the growing need for soldiers. This newspaper supported white supremacy and workers' rights. Before the riot, it often printed articles linking Black people to job problems. It also connected them to crime and a decline in moral order. These articles suggested Black people were a threat to white working-class men. After the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, the newspaper often wrote against the interests of Black people.

On the other hand, the Detroit Advertiser and Tribune supported the Republican Party. It believed in ending slavery and thought the war was right. This newspaper criticized the Free Press. It said the Free Press caused the riot by making people angry against Black people. For a month after the riot, the Advertiser and Tribune called the rioters the "Free Press Mob."

The Draft and Public Anger

Three days before the riot, the U.S. Congress passed the Enrollment Act. This law said that single men aged 20 to 45 had to register for the army draft. Married men up to age 35 also had to register. This law made many white people in the North angry. This was especially true for Irish immigrants. They had become U.S. citizens but did not realize it meant they could be drafted. Their anger grew because Black men, mostly formerly enslaved people, were not included in this draft.

The Irish worried that newly freed enslaved people from the South would move North. They feared this would create more competition for jobs. Many Irish people saw the war as a "rich man's war and a poor man's fight." This was because rich people could avoid serving in the army. They could either pay $300 or find someone else to take their place. These rules were meant to make the draft easier for certain groups. However, they mostly caused anger among the general public.

What Happened During the Riot

A man named Thomas Faulkner, who was of mixed race, was arrested. He was accused of a crime and went to court. Faulkner had voted regularly, which was usually only for white people. He also said he was Spanish-Indian. But both local newspapers called him "negro," and white people saw him that way.

The Spark: A Court Case

The trial brought large, angry crowds of white people. They threw things at Faulkner and his guards as he was taken to and from court. On the second day of the trial, white people began attacking Black people outside the courthouse. The commander of the guards escorting Faulkner ordered his men to fire blank shots to push the crowd back. Then, live bullets were fired, but it's not clear who ordered it. A white person named Charles Langer, who was watching the riot, was killed. The crowd became even angrier that a German person was killed at the trial of someone they thought was less important.

Attacks and Destruction

The angry crowd immediately started attacking Black people on the street. They then went to a nearby Black-owned business, a cooper's shop. Workers tried to protect the shop, but the crowd burned it and the house next door. They threatened Black women and children inside. The crowd attacked five men who escaped the flames. They severely hurt Joshua Boyd, who was an escaped enslaved person from the South. He had been saving money to buy his wife and children out of slavery. He was beaten more by the crowd and died four days later. The other four men were badly hurt but survived, as did the women and children. Some white people helped them.

People who survived said the crowd attacked Black businesses and homes. They took anything valuable and stole from the residents. The white crowd eventually moved beyond the Black area into poorer white neighborhoods, continuing the destruction. Some Black people fled the area. They went across the Detroit River to Canada or west to Corktown, which was a separate community then. The city finally called in soldiers from Ypsilanti and Fort Wayne. By 11 p.m., the violence was stopped. More than 200 Black people and some white people lost their homes. There was an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 in property damage, mostly suffered by Black people.

After the Riot: Consequences

Thomas Faulkner was found guilty and sent to prison for life. Several years later, those who testified against him changed their stories. Faulkner was then pardoned and set free. He returned to Detroit, where some white business owners helped him start a produce business.

No Justice for Victims

The city investigated Joshua Boyd's death, but no one was punished for it. The Michigan Legislature suggested that the riot victims should be paid for their losses. However, the Detroit City Council, which was controlled by Democrats, refused to do so. These tax-paying citizens, whose property was stolen and destroyed, were left to rebuild their lives on their own.

A New Police Force

As a direct result of the riot, Detroit created a full-time police force. This police force was mostly made up of white people until the late 20th century. This later became a civil rights issue. This was because the city's minority populations were not allowed to join the police force.

See also

In Spanish: Disturbio racial de Detroit de 1863 para niños