Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
Ozaukee County residents riot to resist the Civil War draft in 1862
Resistance to the Draft in Wisconsin: The Ozaukee County Riot
Support for the Union in the Civil War was not universal in Wisconsin. Many, especially German Catholics, did not like the Lincoln administration which, to them, represented abolitionism, nativism, and godlessness. The draft was especially intolerable as many Germans had left Europe to escape compulsory military service. With the passage of the militia act of 1862, the President was authorized to use the draft to raise the necessary troops to fight for the Union. All resisters would be subject to court-martial. Anti-draft riots broke out in a number of places in Wisconsin, including Ozaukee County. William Pors, the Draft Commissioner for the county, provided much of the information for this article.
| Related Topics: |
Wisconsin in the Civil War Era The Civil War Home Front |
| Creator: | unknown |
| Pub Data: | unidentified Ozaukee County Newspaper |
| Citation: | "Resistance to the Draft in Wisconsin: The Ozaukee County Riot." Unattributed newspaper article in the Wisconsin Historical Society Library. Online facsimile at: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=148; Visited on: 5/11/2024 |
.