18th century New York - Essay Example

Gopal Pottabathni 31st December 18th Century New York The region was inhabited by about 5000 Lenape Native Americans at the time of its Europeandiscovery in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer in the service of the French crown, who called it "Nouvelle Angoulme". New York City grew in importance as a trading port while under British rule. The city emerged as the theater for a series of major battles known as the New York Campaign during the American Revolutionary War. New York City was the capital of the United States until 1790.

In the early 1800s, New York City was thriving due to economic power; the state soon acquired the nickname, "The Empire State." The New York Stock Exchange opened with great success on Wall Street a few years before the new century. There was chaos during the American Civil War, with major rioting in the New York Draft Riots. During the American Civil War on July 13, 1863 opponents of conscription began five days of rioting, the 'Draft Riots', the worst in United States history. [www.usgennet.

org] The post-war period was noted for the corruption and graft for which Tammany Hall has become proverbial. The mid-1800s were plagued by disease, intense immigration, political corruption, and a weak economy. During this period 61% of import and 70% of exports for U.S. came through New York. Its economy was a vigorous artisan and craftsman society second to none in the United States while its banking and commercial sectors were fast becoming dominant in the country. The Irish Potato Famine brought a large influx of Irish immigrants, and by 1850, the Irish comprised one quarter of the city's population.

The city's infrastructure built as it was a volunteer network of similar minded individuals collapsed. Crime rose as competing ethnic volunteer groups vied for control of the municipal patronage and its utility networks of fire, sanitation, garbage, and police. During the 19th century, the city was transformed by immigration, a visionary development proposal called the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which expanded the city street grid to encompass all of Manhattan, and the opening of the Erie Canal, which connected the Atlantic port to the vast agricultural markets of the Midwestern United States and Canada in 1819.

Local politics became dominated by Tammany Hall, a Democratic Party political machine. Public-minded members of the old merchant aristocracy pressed for a Central Park, which was opened to a design competition in 1857: it was the first landscape park in an American city. New York became the first stop for millions seeking a new and better life in the United States, a role acknowledged by the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886. The new European immigration brought further social upheaval, and old world criminal societies rapidly exploited the already corrupt municipal machine politics of Tammany Hall, while local American barons of industry further exploited the immigrant masses with ever lower wages and crowded living conditions.

Immigrants from all over the world, especially Europe, filed into Ellis Island to become new citizens. In spite of taking jobs from many Americans, immigrants contributed in many different ways to the history of New York City. On the way to Ellis Island, many foreigners were greeted by the Statue of Liberty, which was built by the French and given as a gift for America in 1886. [www.inetours.com] Despite corruption at Tammany Hall, the construction of many bridges, museums, and parks gave New York City a personality unlike any other.

The city's wealth continued to grow into the 20th century. Works Cited 1) Inetours.com. History of New York City. John. P. Adamski. 2001-2007. 28 December 2007. Page: New York 2) Usgennet.org. The History of New York State. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1927, 30 December 2007. Page: USA