In the second half of the semester, we’re going to explore some darker, more ominous topics related to neighborhood diversity and change: first, we’re going to examine a few cases in which ethnic and racial groups have clashed violently in NYC neighborhoods. Then we’re going to unearth the role of money and power in shaping contemporary city blocks.
The task this week is historical detective work. We’re going to try to figure out why the Five Points was so notorious as a place of ethnic violence. First, read the short piece on Ethnic Succession by Herman. As you’re reading, try to identify the factors that Herman suggests lead to tension or conflict in cases of ethnic succession.
- Are you convinced by this?
- Does it reflect causes of ethnic tension you have seen in the neighborhoods and schools you come from, or the ones you are studying in this class?
Then skim the longer excerpt from Anbinder’s book on Five Points. I’ve pulled several sections that describe conditions in the neighborhood and go into some detail about a couple of the riots that occurred there in the 1800s.
- Are there clues in Anbinder’s historical description of the underlying causes of the anti-abolitionist riot or the “Dead Rabbit Riot”?
- Are these causes mentioned by Herman?
- In other words, does Herman’s text help us to understand why these violent episodes may have occurred?
Finally, if at all possible, watch Gangs of New York with some friends from the class. Many of the events shown in the film are described in the Anbinder excerpt. How accurate is the film?
