Final answer:
The New York City Draft Riots had profound and detrimental effects on Black New Yorkers, resulting in over a hundred deaths, widespread property damage, and a mass exodus of approximately one-fifth of the African American population from the city due to safety concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
Impact of the New York City Draft Riots on Black New Yorkers
The New York City Draft Riots of 1863 had severe consequences for Black New Yorkers, whose lives and property were directly targeted by violent mobs. Incited by the fear that free Blacks would take the jobs of those conscripted, as well as racial hatred and opposition to the Union draft, rioters killed more than one hundred individuals, including at least eleven Black men who were lynched. The level of destruction was immense, with an estimated one-fifth of the city's African American population forced to flee due to fear, and significant property damage including the burning of a Black orphanage.
White mob violence extended beyond African Americans to abolitionists and wealthy Republicans, indicating a broader scope of resentment fueled by class divisions, political opposition, and racism. The arrival of federal troops ultimately quelled the riots, highlighting the tensions between local populations and the federal government during this period. This uprising was symptomatic of the broader social and economic stress experienced on the home front during the Civil War.
For Black New Yorkers, the Draft Riots exacerbated pre-existing racial inequalities and exposed the deep-seated racism within the city. This event would lead to significant demographic changes, as many Black New Yorkers left the city to escape the hostile environment. The riots also highlighted the glaring social division and the resistance to the ideals of equality and emancipation, despite New York's alignment with the Union cause.