The Flour Riots of 1837

In February 1837, thousands of New Yorkers gathered to protest the sudden rise in food prices. Flour, which was used to bake bread, had jumped from about $7 a barrel to more than $12. For working families already fighting to get by, this was a huge blow. The protest became violent. Angry crowds stormed warehouses. They broke barrels and blamed rich merchants for hoarding supplies. They said this raised prices. This event became known as the Flour Riot.

The riot grew out of the financial panic that followed the Bank War. With banks failing and loans drying up, businesses closed and many people lost their jobs. Families had less money to spend while the cost of food kept rising. In New York City, the soaring price of flour became the clearest sign of this hardship. People blamed rich merchants and speculators for the problems. Frustration spilled into the streets.

A political cartoon depicting the impacts of the Panic of 1837

The results of the riot were immediate. Warehouses were damaged, and hundreds of barrels of flour were destroyed. City leaders sent out troops to stop the crowds, and newspapers across the country reported on the unrest. The riot did not bring food prices down, but it revealed the desperation of working people caught in the crisis. It also showed how national economic policies could spark anger and violence in local communities when ordinary families could no longer afford basic needs.