The New York City Food Riot of 1917 were a series of demonstrations and riots which began on February 19, 1917, after a mob composed mostly of women confronted store and pushcart owners over the raising of prices following the shortages of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

History

Ida Harris, president of the

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

Mothers Vigilance Committee, and

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

labour organizer

Marie Ganz Marie Ganz (1891–1968) was an anarchist and activist. Biography Marie was born in Galicia, Austria, in 1891. She started work at 8 years old and left school at 13 to work full-time as a delivery person, then in a sweatshop. In 1914, she thre ...

, led the crowds through Manhattan's

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...

. After another gathering on February 20, Ganz was arrested for "failing to comply with orders to stop stirring up the crowd."Ferrara, Eric
"The Food Riots Of 1917,"
The Gotham Center for New York City History (May 4, 2013). Archived a

On February 22, the women stormed the city's poultry markets, assaulting customers and destroying chickens.“Food Seizure by Commissioner, Governor’s Plan,” ''New York Times'' (February 23, 1917). On February 24, thousands of New Yorkers marched on

Madison Square Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for Founding Father James Madison, the fourth president of the United St ...

, where "several high-profile speakers addressed the crowd." The

food riots A food riot is a riot in protest of a shortage and/or unequal distribution of food. Historical causes have included rises in food prices, harvest failures, inept food storage, transport problems, food speculation, hoarding, poisoning of food, a ...

were effective in that "by the beginning of March, the city responded to the crisis by securing thousands of pounds of low-cost produce and wholesalers lowered prices." Although this succeeded in ending the riots,

food prices Food prices refer to the average price level for food across countries, regions and on a global scale. Food prices affect producers and consumers of food. Price levels depend on the food production process, including food marketing and food di ...

continued to "fluctuate sharply throughout the war."

References

Food Riot A food riot is a riot in protest of a shortage and/or unequal distribution of food. Historical causes have included rises in food prices, harvest failures, inept food storage, transport problems, food speculation, hoarding, poisoning of food, ...

1917 riots Battles and conflicts without fatalities Food riots Riots and civil disorder in New York City Political riots in the United States 20th-century political riots 1917 in American politics {{NewYorkCity-stub

History

See also

References