What was the significance of the New York Draft Riots?

The major significance of the New York Draft Riots in the
Civil War is that they showed the attitudes of many Northerners (especially Irish
immigrants) towards blacks and towards the emancipation of
slaves.

Many working class Northerners were completely
against the idea of freeing the slaves.  They worried that the freed slaves would come
to the North and compete against them for jobs.  Because of this, they were vehemently
opposed to the Civil War and especially to the draft.  They did not think that it was
right that they should have to fight in order to free slaves who would then come and
harm their own livelihoods.

So, the major significance of
these riots is that they show that the North was not the solid bloc of anti-slavery
sentiment that we like to think it was.