compare and contrast the two major riots of the period (1835-1865): Astor Place (1849)and Draft Riots (1863)

Crowds and riots provide important insights into the historical conditions in a given time period. They allow us to look into "history from below" and see everyday divisions and tensions. George Rudé was a historian who wrote extensively about this in The Crowd in History (1964).
These two riots mark shifting realities in the historical circumstances of New York City. The Astor Place Riot (1849) is said to have begun over an argument between two dramatists regarding who was better at playing roles in Shakespeare's plays. But the real source of the riot was divisions between "nativists" (Americans from old English families) and newly arrived Irish Catholic immigrants. It was marked by class tensions that existed between these two groups. It also highlighted the new role of the state, as police involvement was important.
The New York City Draft Riots (1863) were more extensive and severe and arose from different tensions. They were a response to Congress's decision to enact a draft law in order to fill the ranks of the Union Army in the Civil War. Again, poorer Irish Catholic immigrants were resistant to this imposition on the part of the state. Many took out their anger by attacking newly arrived African American residents in the city who had fled the South and the chaos of the war to seek freedom in the North.
Both riots pitted the people against the authorities, but the reasons for social tension were quite different. America had changed dramatically as a result of the outbreak of the Civil War.