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Picture Credits:
Author's Note: This is not so much a story in itself as it is a tribute to the City of New York and our Country. There's been too much America bashing lately. I wrote this essay several months ago and thought it was time to bring it out of mothballs. Since Prose N Poetry is a forum to exchange ideas and deep feelings I'm of the opinion it is appropriate to post. Some might feel this is a political statement and a bit of flag waving, but look deeply into the facts of history and our nationhood and you'll see this country stands apart from the rest of the world as unique, and something special. This is strictly from an historical perspective. For those who are interested please let me know what you think. Your comments would be welcomed.
The period from the 1820's through the 1880's was a turbulent time in New York City history, and the nation for that matter. There were several major riots - The Election Riots (1834) between the Whigs and the Democrats fighting over the Mayoral election. This was followed by the Anti-Abolitionist riots in July. The Astor Place Riot (1849) - 23 dead, and it was the first time American troops fired on and American crowd! The Police Riots between the Metropolitan and Municipal police forces in June 1857, followed closely by the "Dead Rabbits" Riot of July in the same year. The Draft Riots in New York City, July 1863, is the most well known of them all. This was the most violent and destructive civil uprising in U. S. history. The ethnic conflict known as the Orange Riot (1870) was still another bloody disturbance. As a footnote: by 1860 one in every ten citizens in the U. S. had a criminal record!
Even the fire departments feuded with each other. Baseball, just burgeoning into our nation consciousness, was plagued by gambling, crooked games, and with whiskey sold at all parks, brawls broke out constantly between rowdy fans and disgruntled players. Worst of all the corruption in political circles was so pervasive, no one bothered to hide it. With all this racism, religious bigotry, political corruption and injustice you had to look hard to find persons of quality and integrity. If this weren't enough, financial collapses added to these horrific scenarios, notably the Panic of 1837, 1857 and 1873. These financial catastrophes were so severe they plunged the nation into mini-depressions for three generations. Now lets put things into perspective.
It is easy to sneer at these terrible state of affairs and deride New Yorkers for what seems to be their callous disregard for others' misfortunes. But there are many bright spots overlooked while the dark side grabbed all the attention. It was true then as it is today.
Here are some redeeming facts that we should be proud of:
The 363 mile Erie Canal was completed in 1825, today it is the most stupendous publics works project in our entire history. The first opera was performed at the Park Theatre in November of that year. "Freedom's Journal," a black-owned and operated newspaper began publication in 1827. The Wall Street Stock Exchange opened that year also. Alexis de Tocqueville published his "Democracy in America," in 1831, praising our form of government as being the envy of the world. The Erie Railroad laid tracks from New York City to Lake Erie. The "New York Herald," appeared in 1835, the same year public executions were abolished. In 1841, P. T. Barnum opened his museum, and Horace Greeley published his "New York Tribune."
The year 1842 saw the completion of the great Croton Aqueduct, supplying water for the city as well as the New York Philharmonic holding its first concert in December. Edgar Allan Poe published his poem "The Raven," in the "N. Y. Evening Mirror," in 1845. Health, garbage collection and improved sanitation laws were passed. William Cullen Bryant founded the Century Association to promote Literature and the Arts, 1846. The next year saw the Free Academy established eventually becoming City College in 1866. By 1851 the "New York Daily Times," issued its first copy. (Still publishing as the New York Times). Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) began his career at 17 years old as an apprentice for a printing company in NYC.
The first World's Fair in America was held at the Crystal Palace on July 4th, 1853 on 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue. In 1855 the Jewish Hospital opened, later renamed Mount Sinai Hospital. Elizabeth Jennings, a black woman, effectively ended segregation on public transportation when she defiantly road on a Third Avenue horsecar. Currier & Ives opened on Nassau Street in 1857. Otis builds the first elevator with an automatic safety device which he installs in a building on Broadway and Broome Street. The first issue of the "New York World," appears in 1860. Candy Cummings of the Brooklyn Excelsiors throws the first curve ball (1867). The first elevated railroad line opens on Greenwich Street in 1868.
Thomas Nast published his first cartoon against Boss Tweed in "Harper's Weekly," in 1869 - eventually these constant negative political cartoons helped to convict Tweed and put him behind bars along with many of his Tammany Hall cronies. It was a relentless campaign on the part of Nast who turned down a $500,000 bribe from Tweed to drop these allegations of corruption. Nast, of course turned down these bribes. Now here's a man who stood on principle and integrity. 1870 saw the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Tiffany & Co.. The Female Normal High School opens in February on Broadway - eventually to become Hunter College. In 1873 the "New York Daily Graphic," the first truely illustrated daily, published its first news photograph. May 11, 1877, Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated his telephone at Denis Hotel on Broadway. Bell Telephone published the first phone book in 1878 with just over 250 subscribers. Our nation's first labor parade was held in 1882. In 1883 the Troy Haymakers (Troy, New York)of the national League relocated to become the New York Giants making their home in a park named the Polo Grounds at 110th Street and Fifth Avenue.
The Brooklyn Bridge was inaugurated in May 1883; the Metropolitan Opera House dedicated in October of that year. Thomas Alva Edison lights up New York. In 1886 the Statue of Liberty is unveiled and the first ticker-tape parade celebrates this occasion.
Literary giants, great public projects, larger than life monuments, scientific and cultural breakthroughs, public educational expansion and improvement, museums founded, industries established, new creations, new marvels to define the character of this great city and the nation all appeared in the nineteenth century. Symbols of a new age through expression of the Arts and Literature and Public Works! Our public schools developed to be the best, second to none, both public and parochial. Just think of the mess our schools are in today. We were the envy of Europe and still are. People from all over the world rushed to our shores through the gateway of New York harbor to find boundless opportunity and freedom.
Yes, we have walked down a well-trodden, if violent, road measured in blood and tears and self-sacrifice, yet never losing sight of our goals or a sense of who we are and what we stood for. Americans have become their own worse critic. And rightly so. We are a self-correcting society. When we discover and admit our faults and shortcomings or injustices, we correct them.
We are not so proud a people that we cannot humbly acknowledge our weaknesses and thereby grow ever stronger in the face of them. The City was blessed in the nineteenth century with dozens of newspapers: Pultizer's "World," Day's "Sun," Greeley's "Tribune," Bennett's "Herald," Raymond's "Times," Hearst's "Journal," and of course the "Evening Post," just to name a few of the more prominent papers. The free press kept our focus on social issues competing with each other for the 'truth.' If we seemed too sexist, racist, radical and elitist, their editorials set a moral standard to guide our path. We know who we are - a nation of builders, of dreamers, of reformers; selfless heroes who are intellectually vibrant; sacrificing ourselves for noble aspirations.
Today, as in those far off days, we fight against cruelty, aggression, extremism, totalitarian rule and intolerance. New York City is the seat of this national character with its rich cultural history and heritage. We represent the Republic. For all or faults and flaws we are the light of the world. Think of our accomplishments. There will surely be more to come. It is not arrogant to say that America is the world's best hope for the future.
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A word about the reproduction on top. (The Gadsden Flag). The flag was commissioned during the Revolutionary War, named after the patriot Colonel Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina. He had seen this figure of the coiled rattlesnake and the words "Don't Tread on Me," and submitted the design to the Provincial Congress in South Carolina. The ancients considered the serpent as an emblem of wisdom and so it was adopted by the patriots during the Revolution. It is a striking banner and a memorable one, a perfect example of the driving spirit of the fight for Independence.
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