Amidst the backdrop of the Civil War, Richmond, Virginia became the focal point of discontent and civil unrest when a significant bread riot erupted. The southern economy was strained by the war, leading to rampant inflation and food shortages. As prices skyrocketed for basic goods, particularly bread, women—the main purchasers and preparers of food—found themselves increasingly frustrated. On April 2, the frustration reached a boiling point, prompting hundreds of women to leave their homes and march through the streets of Richmond in search of relief. They demanded food and confronted shopkeepers hoarding supplies. The yelling and chaos quickly escalated, resulting in the looting of bakeries and nearby stores. It was a desperate assertion of agency amidst crippling economic conditions, a testament to the desperation faced by families in a wartime environment.

The response from local authorities was swift, with soldiers and militia being called in to disperse the crowd and restore order. This intervention, however, did not quench the underlying tensions within the Confederate capital. Instead, it shone a light on the struggles faced by the Southern populace, particularly women, who were bearing the brunt of food scarcity due to the war's impact on supply chains. The Richmond Bread Riot was one of several such disturbances throughout the South during the war, illustrating the fragility of civil order in a time of crisis and the extent to which the war was affecting everyday life.