Throughout the semester, we have discussed the different types of hardships and prejudice faced by immigrants in New York City. We learned that they faced discrimination in the workplace with low wages and poor working conditions. We studied the horrible living conditions in the tenements. We learned about “white flight” and the attempted isolation of immigrants and other minorities. In this week’s Five Points readings, Anbinder illustrates what happens when these issues are compounded with corrupt politics. For the Irish immigrants in Five Points, the time had finally come – it was impossible to contain their frustration.
In 1856, the government passed two laws that would infuriate Irish Five Pointers. The first one, a “license law,” banned the sale of alcohol on Sundays and increased prices for selling alcoholic beverages. The second, the Metropolitan Police Act, broke apart the New York City Police Department. Irish citizens immediately thought that these laws were part of a larger conspiracy to reduce the voice and power of the non-native Irish. They argued that the liquor law was passed while knowing that it played a significant role in the lives of Irish. Furthermore, the Irish believed that the dissolution of the police force was an attempt to deny the Irish their “fair share of patronage.” The police department was one of the few government institutions that hired Irish workers, as 64% of the officers were immigrants. When the state court ruled that the disbanding of the police department was constitutional, tempers finally reached their breaking point.
The resulting riots were extremely violent, leading to severe injuries and multiple arrests. But the violence was not meaningless, as the political landscape in New York City changed significantly. The city was filled with corruption, backdoor deals, and unfair partisanship led by Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed. In the wake of the fighting, Five Points Irish Catholics began to infiltrate the government, and they eventually became part of the government. In this way, the riots enabled the Irish to have representatives in the corruption ring that would look out for them and serve their interests.
The events described in Five Points are not an isolated incident. There have been many instances through the years where discrimination lead to bloodshed. At our country’s inception, colonists who felt the burdens of prejudice decided that it was time to let go of their built up frustration and rebel. Even as late as the 1960’s, African Americans rioted in multiple locations in protest of the inferior treatment they received on a daily basis. Regardless of the year or the group of people, this week’s reading teaches us that discrimination can potentially lead to turmoil.
