In the nineteenth century, the advent of new immigrants led to the creation of opposing parties, such as the Nativists, who fought to eliminate the rights of those immigrants. Multiple laws, riots, and restrictions followed during this time due to various reasons. The Astor Place Riots embodied the tension between Nativists and immigrants. It all began when William Macready, a British performer, was summoned to the Astor Opera House, as opposed to the middle class favorite Edwin Forrest. Because Macready and the Astor itself were regarded as remnants of English aristocracy, the middle class was riled. Taking advantage of this, Captain Isaiah Rynders distributed tickets and handbills that said “Shall Americans or English rule in this city?” (Sismondo 127). Then rioting began which resulted in deaths and destruction. The Nativists were involved in this event because of their eagerness to overthrow Democrats. Their rationale was the fact that Democrats dominated the city with the help of Irish American gangs. Therefore, they were naturally eager to eliminate both groups. What surprised me about this account of history was the role of Isaiah Rynders; he played an enormous role in causing the Riots, however he did it in order to taint the image of the Mayor. This fact made me think that power was in the wrong hands during those times- the powerful individuals’ selfish motives led them to spread destruction and intimidation.
Riots continued even after this because of the rivalry between Irish/German immigrants and Nativists. Because they were of a different faith, they were disparaged for their predominant ownership of beer gardens and saloons. Often times immigrants attended these salons on Sundays after hours and days of hard work in order to communicate and relax. However, anti-Irish and anti-German sentiments, along with extreme beliefs and ideals threatened the opening of saloons on Sundays. Therefore, the riots and rivalry had a lot to do with religious beliefs and the disapproval of the middle class drinking in general.
