The famous comic book writer Stan Lee once said “With great power comes great responsibility.” To me, this quote is the epitome of what New York City and its population was living through during the late 19th century. As it became America’s richest and most powerful city following the American Revolution, New Yorkers were inevitably forced to deal with all the tension and disapproval that came along with it.
New York’s dominance over the American economy became undeniable as early as the 1820s. The streets were becoming increasingly full of pedestrians eager to create a financial district that would thrive like none other before. Both migrants and immigrants would pile into New York and its working class was in full swing. Additionally, activist movements were in full swing during this time in New York City. While crusades against poverty, slavery, prostitution, etc. were nationwide, New York’s wealth and advances in communications and publishing caused them to be at the forefront of reform in America during this time. The American Revolution had given rise again to the ideal of American people choosing right and rejecting wrong, and so activism became the ultimate way for the people to do so. This being said though, as Americans began to stand up for what they believed in, Steven Jaffe explains that they could not always do so harmoniously. People would go to New York because of its belief in reform, however conflict and inequality over different ideals could not be avoided as a result. 800,000 people in the nation’s largest metropolis proved to be both an incredible achievement as well as an incredible challenge.
A leading factor in the challenge of reform during this time was the Labor Movement between working men and aristocrats. In June 1836 a famous trial was held regarding 20 journeymen- tailors who were in the process of being trained to become master tailors. They had formed a “Trade Union” to earn higher wages from their master craftsmen. A jury found them guilty of “riot and conspiracy injurious to trade and commerce.” This verdict sparked backlash that would span for decades and protestors would handle it in all different ways. There were those unionists who threatened workers that would accept lower wages. Then there were others who took action by crowding City Hall and expressed their disapproval of the “Rich against the poor”. Finally, some union movements refused to work at all until wages were finally raised. These are the times when New York proved not only to be an economic powerhouse, but also a battleground between the working force and the aristocrats.
Eventually, the working force took matters into their own hands by taking political action. They formed the Workingmen’s Party in the hopes of creating a political agenda that was aligned with their own. Their ideals were all about equality, and more importantly, equal opportunity. They wanted a society where there was a much broader definition of what it meant to be a “working man.” While the party was eventually split due to rivals and competitors, it nonetheless had an influence on labor unions and the New York Democratic Party that can still be felt today.
N.O
