During the mid 19th century, New York City went through formative changes in population demographics, economic turmoil, and struggles for power against the state. Rival parties formed on the basis of race, religion, class and allegiance challenged the systems in place and made progress as not only a city, but as a country.
A major factor that furthered the progress of New York City was the activist spirit that emerged as a result of the gap between the rich and the poor. Nearing the end of the industrial revolution, some New Yorkers were able to make a hefty living from rising industries. While the wealthy lived on Broadway and Fifth Avenue, the poor were displaced to the Five Points slum area and exposed to high rates on crime and gang violence. The tension between the two classes was demonstrated in the Astor Place Riots. Two rival actors, William Macready and Edwin Forrest, were both due to perform Hamlet one the same night as different venues. While Macready resonated with the upper class, Forest was the common man’s actor. On opening night, Forrest supporters came to Macready’s show to throw rotten eggs and potatoes at him. Fueled by their last riot, Forrest supporters bought tickets to crash Macready’s second performance, but state militia fired at the rabble rousers costing several American lives. In response to the militia shooting, Forrest supporters held a protest rally on May 11th at City Hall Park. The Astor Place Riots set the scene for future activists.
The draft riots of the Civil War were another chief example of the social pressures between the wealthy and the poor in New York. When the republican party called for a draft across the board, the lower class were enraged to find out that the wealthy were excused from the draft after paying a replacement fee. Mob riots ensued in republican areas; african americans were lynched; wealthy people were attacked on the streets; expensive stores were robbed. In response to the riots, President Lincoln ordered a draft quota for NYS. Some whites formed unions and organizations to support the republican party and abolitionists. Despite the initial responses to the national draft, the two parties did make amends and spurred an era of growth in New York City and the United States as a whole.
Another major factor that moved the progress of New York City was the cultural conflict that resulted from the immigration of 1.6 million Irish catholics to the United States during the Irish famine. Americans took on a strong sense of nativism and outcasted the immigrants. On 4th of July 1853, when a riot surfaced in the midst of two patriotic parades, one protestant and the other catholic, police only arrested catholics. Similarly, protestant mobs prevented catholic children from attended the mission school set up by Reverend Louis and protestant street preaching became frequent in catholics neighborhoods. Despite, nativist attitudes and persistent attempts at conversion, the Irish catholics did not assimilate; instead they redefined the culture of NYC and by extension, the United States.
Another large conflict in NYC was the power struggle between the city and New York State. Fernando Wood, Mayor of New York, was known for employing Irish workers and improving the education, sanitation, and transportation systems. Although his self satisfying motives made him out to be quite a controversial politician, Wood formed a resistance of Irish locals as the State began to take away municipal authorities. State-appointed commissioners were put in place to oversee the development of Central Park. The revision of the City Charter removed the mayor from the Board of Supervisors so Wood forcefully relinquished control over city finances. The state increased the liquor license fee, attacking the culture of the already impoverished Irish and German immigrants. Lastly, the state implemented the Metropolitan Police Act which disbanded the city militia, leaving New York City to be defended by the metropolitan police force. Wood gave his policemen the option to join the state force or stay on his municipal force in spite of the police act. While the Irish immigrants remained loyal to him, the native born Americans joined the state, creating major conflict between the two groups. In response, the Irish formed the Dead Rabbits and fought the state police and their gang, the Bowery Boys. In the end, only the Dead Rabbits were blamed for the riot. Social conflicts like these have been prominent in New York City’s history, and each time, New Yorkers rise to challenge norms and fight for what they believe in. Confronting conflict headfirst has become custom as well as responsibility in order to form a more perfect union.
