2 April 1863: Richmond food riot

On this day, 2 April 1863, a group of women, having been refused an audience with the governor John Letcher, took to the streets of Richmond, Virginia to protest food shortages, hoarding, and the spiralling inflation in the Confederate capital. The march soon turned into a riot with government warehouses, grocery stores, and commercial establishments attacked and raided. Chants of “bread or blood” and “we celebrate our right to live — we are starving!” were reported by various eyewitnesses. Troops, deployed by the authorities, then threatened to fire upon the protestors, causing them to disperse, and over sixty women and men were arrested and tried for their participation in the riot.
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9152/richmond-bread-riot

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