The Southern bread riots were events of civil unrest in the Confederacy during the American Civil War, perpetrated mostly by women in March and April 1863. During these riots, which occurred in cities throughout the South, hungry women and men invaded and looted various shops and stores.
The riots were triggered by the women's lack of money, provisions, and food.[1] All were the result of multiple factors, mostly related to the Civil War:
Inflation had caused prices to soar while incomes had not kept pace.[2]
Refugees had flooded the cities, causing severe shortages of housing and overwhelming the old food supply system.[3] Richmond's population went from 38,000 people in 1860 to over 100,000 by 1863.[4][5]
Food supplies in rural areas were running short and less food was exported to cities; foraging armies, both Union and Confederate, ravaged crops and killed farm animals.[6][7]
Many cities—especially Richmond—were at the end of long supply lines, and internal transportation became increasingly difficult.[8]
Salt, which at the time was the only practical meat preservative, was very expensive (if available at all) because it was generally an imported item. The Union blockade prevented imports, and the capture of Avery Island, Louisiana, with its salt-mine, exacerbated the problem.[9][10]
The Confederate States Army seized provisions meant for civilian use to feed its soldiers, which in turn spurred farmers to withhold shipments.[2]
As shortages became more prevalent in urban areas, those who could afford to do so began to hoard what they could, leaving fewer supplies for others.[2]
Citizens, mostly women, began to protest the exorbitant price of bread. The protesters believed a negligent government and speculators were to blame. To show their displeasure, many protesters turned to violence. Robberies of grocery and merchandise stores were happening on nearly a daily basis.[11] Riots took place over food or flour in Atlanta (March 16), Salisbury, North Carolina (March 18), Mobile and High Point (March 25), and Petersburg (April 1),[12] but the largest and most important of these was in Richmond on April 2.[2]
Richmond bread riotsedit
On April 2, 1863, in the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, about 5,500 people,[13] mostly poor women, broke into shops and began seizing food, clothing, shoes, and even jewelry before the militia arrived to restore order. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen. No one died and few were injured.[14] The riot was organized and instigated by Mary Jackson, a peddler and the mother of a soldier.[15]
President Jefferson Davis pleaded with the women and even threw them money from his pockets, asking them to disperse, saying "You say you are hungry and have no money; here, this is all I have". The mayor read the Riot Act; the governor called out the militia, and it restored order.[16]
To protect morale, the Confederate government suppressed most news reports of the riot itself. Many newspapers, however, were keen to report on the trials of the participants themselves, and they usually portrayed those people in an unflattering light, suggesting that they were not actually starving, or that the rioters were mostly "Yankees" or lower-class people, allowing many upper-class citizens to ignore the scope of the problems.[17] However, that only served to deepen the feelings of resentment and injustice among the lower classes, leading to the sentiment that the Civil War was "a rich man's war, but a poor man's fight".[18]
In Richmond, measures were undertaken to alleviate starvation and inflation for poor people, and special committees were held to classify "worthy poor" from "unworthy poor", the city then opened special markets for "worthy poor" citizens to purchase goods and fuel at significantly reduced prices.[19]
^Mary Elizabeth Massey, "The food and drink shortage on the Confederate homefront." North Carolina Historical Review 26.3 (1949): 306–334. in JSTOR, p. 306.
Bellemare, Marc F. "Rising food prices, food price volatility, and social unrest." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 97.1 (2015): 1–21. online
Chesson, Michael B. "Harlots or Heroines? A New Look at the Richmond Bread Riot." Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 92#2 (1984): 131–175. JSTOR 4248710
Grady, John (April 5, 2013). "Richmond Bread Riot". New York Times.
Harper, Judith E. Women during the civil war: An encyclopedia (Routledge, 2004).
Hurt, R. Douglas. Agriculture and the Confederacy: Policy, Productivity, and Power in the Civil War South (U North Carolina Press, 2015).
Lerner, Eugene M. "Money, prices, and wages in the Confederacy, 1861–65." Journal of Political Economy (1955): 20–40. JSTOR 1826773
Rable, George C. Civil Wars: Women and the Crisis of Southern Nationalism (U of Illinois Press, 1989).
Smith, Andrew F. "Did hunger defeat the Confederacy." North & South 13.1 (2011): 7–10.
Smith, Andrew F. Starving the South: How the North Won the Civil War (Macmillan, 2011).
Titus, Katherine R. (2011). "The Richmond Bread Riot of 1863: Class, Race, and Gender in the Urban Confederacy". The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era. 2: 86–146. ISSN 2165-3666.
Williams, Teresa Crisp, and David Williams. "'The Women Rising': Cotton, Class, and Confederate Georgia's Rioting Women." Georgia Historical Quarterly 86.1 (2002): 49–83. JSTOR 40584640
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The Southern bread riots were events of civil unrest in the Confederacy during the American Civil War perpetrated mostly by women in March and April 1863 During these riots which occurred in cities throughout the South hungry women and men invaded and looted various shops and stores Southern bread riotsDetail of a propaganda cartoon showing bread riots in Richmond Frank Leslie s Illustrated NewspaperDateApril 2 1863 160 years ago 1863 04 02 LocationConfederacyParticipantsMostly women Contents 1 Causes 2 Richmond bread riots 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingCauses editThe riots were triggered by the women s lack of money provisions and food 1 All were the result of multiple factors mostly related to the Civil War Inflation had caused prices to soar while incomes had not kept pace 2 Refugees had flooded the cities causing severe shortages of housing and overwhelming the old food supply system 3 Richmond s population went from 38 000 people in 1860 to over 100 000 by 1863 4 5 Food supplies in rural areas were running short and less food was exported to cities foraging armies both Union and Confederate ravaged crops and killed farm animals 6 7 Many cities especially Richmond were at the end of long supply lines and internal transportation became increasingly difficult 8 Salt which at the time was the only practical meat preservative was very expensive if available at all because it was generally an imported item The Union blockade prevented imports and the capture of Avery Island Louisiana with its salt mine exacerbated the problem 9 10 The Confederate States Army seized provisions meant for civilian use to feed its soldiers which in turn spurred farmers to withhold shipments 2 As shortages became more prevalent in urban areas those who could afford to do so began to hoard what they could leaving fewer supplies for others 2 Citizens mostly women began to protest the exorbitant price of bread The protesters believed a negligent government and speculators were to blame To show their displeasure many protesters turned to violence Robberies of grocery and merchandise stores were happening on nearly a daily basis 11 Riots took place over food or flour in Atlanta March 16 Salisbury North Carolina March 18 Mobile and High Point March 25 and Petersburg April 1 12 but the largest and most important of these was in Richmond on April 2 2 Richmond bread riots editOn April 2 1863 in the Confederate capital of Richmond Virginia about 5 500 people 13 mostly poor women broke into shops and began seizing food clothing shoes and even jewelry before the militia arrived to restore order Tens of thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen No one died and few were injured 14 The riot was organized and instigated by Mary Jackson a peddler and the mother of a soldier 15 President Jefferson Davis pleaded with the women and even threw them money from his pockets asking them to disperse saying You say you are hungry and have no money here this is all I have The mayor read the Riot Act the governor called out the militia and it restored order 16 To protect morale the Confederate government suppressed most news reports of the riot itself Many newspapers however were keen to report on the trials of the participants themselves and they usually portrayed those people in an unflattering light suggesting that they were not actually starving or that the rioters were mostly Yankees or lower class people allowing many upper class citizens to ignore the scope of the problems 17 However that only served to deepen the feelings of resentment and injustice among the lower classes leading to the sentiment that the Civil War was a rich man s war but a poor man s fight 18 In Richmond measures were undertaken to alleviate starvation and inflation for poor people and special committees were held to classify worthy poor from unworthy poor the city then opened special markets for worthy poor citizens to purchase goods and fuel at significantly reduced prices 19 See also editEconomy of the Confederate States of America List of food riots List of incidents of civil unrest in the United StatesReferences edit Mary Elizabeth Massey The food and drink shortage on the Confederate homefront North Carolina Historical Review 26 3 1949 306 334 in JSTOR p 306 a b c d Chesson 1984 p 134 Titus 2011 p 86 Alfred Hoyt Bill The Beleaguered City Richmond 1861 1865 1946 p 3 Titus 2011 p 105 Richard N Current ed The Confederacy MacMillan Information Now Encyclopedias 1998 ISBN 0028649168 pp 213 215 Andrew F Smith Starving the South How the North Won the Civil War Macmillan 2011 George Edgar Turner Victory Rode the Rails The Strategic Place of the Railroads in the Civil War 1953 pp 313 318 Ritzman Dean F Lonn Ella Salt as a Factor in the Confederacy Book Review The Historian 28 4 1966 685 Mark Kurlansky Salt A World History Chesson 1984 p 135 Chesson 1984 p 136 Titus 2011 p 113 Chesson 1984 p 152 Bread or Blood The Richmond Bread Riot Hungry History History Archived from the original on February 3 2018 Retrieved April 13 2017 Titus 2011 pp 114 117 Titus 2011 pp 120 123 Titus 2011 p 133 DeCredico Mary Bread Riot Richmond Encyclopedia Virginia Retrieved March 2 2023 Further reading editBellemare Marc F Rising food prices food price volatility and social unrest American Journal of Agricultural Economics 97 1 2015 1 21 onlineChesson Michael B Harlots or Heroines A New Look at the Richmond Bread Riot Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 92 2 1984 131 175 JSTOR 4248710 Grady John April 5 2013 Richmond Bread Riot New York Times Harper Judith E Women during the civil war An encyclopedia Routledge 2004 Hurt R Douglas Agriculture and the Confederacy Policy Productivity and Power in the Civil War South U North Carolina Press 2015 Lerner Eugene M Money prices and wages in the Confederacy 1861 65 Journal of Political Economy 1955 20 40 JSTOR 1826773 McPherson James M 1988 Battle Cry of Freedom The Civil War Era Ballantine Books Random House Publishing Inc pp 617 619 ISBN 0 345 35942 9 Rable George C Civil Wars Women and the Crisis of Southern Nationalism U of Illinois Press 1989 Smith Andrew F Did hunger defeat the Confederacy North amp South 13 1 2011 7 10 Smith Andrew F Starving the South How the North Won the Civil War Macmillan 2011 Titus Katherine R 2011 The Richmond Bread Riot of 1863 Class Race and Gender in the Urban Confederacy The Gettysburg College Journal of the Civil War Era 2 86 146 ISSN 2165 3666 Williams Teresa Crisp and David Williams The Women Rising Cotton Class and Confederate Georgia s Rioting Women Georgia Historical Quarterly 86 1 2002 49 83 JSTOR 40584640 Portal nbsp Food Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Southern bread riots amp oldid 1189546921, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
