TEACHER’S GUIDE NEW YORK - Thirteen WNET New York · and love to hate —the King Kong of cities,...

NEW YORKA DOCUMENTARY FILMDirected by RIC BURNS

TEACHER’S GUIDE

FORD FOUNDATION

Funding for this teacher’s guide was provided by

Dear Teacher,

I vividly remember the first moment I realized I had to live in New York. It was in thesummer of 1974. I was nineteen years old, riding down Fifth Avenue on the Number4 bus, when it occurred to me that people from Michigan (where I grew up) couldlive here. This simple thought sent an electrical current surging through my body sostrong that it made my heart pound as hard as it is possible to pound without havinga heart attack. I've lived here ever since.

There really is no place in the world quite like New York. For generations, its darkbeauty and inimitable power have stirred men and women to the depths of theirsouls, seeming the very embodiment of all ambition, all aspiration, all romance, alldesire. The very names of New York's streets and districts have been woven into ourcollective imagination, until they have become shorthand for the whole range ofhuman experience. Broadway and Times Square. Wall Street. Madison Avenue. FifthAvenue. Park Avenue. Harlem. Grand Central Station.

New York confronts us with the most basic questions. What forces converged to makesuch a city possible? What does it tell us about ourselves as a people? Is there anyway of explaining something so dense, complex, incomprehensibly vast, multipleand overpowering?

For seven years, I've been working on NEW YORK: A DOCUMENTARY FILM, strugglingwith my production team to create a single narrative out of the nearly four hundredyears, four hundred square miles, and millions and millions of people that collectivelyconstitute the polyglot, complex history that is New York. I've never been more chal-lenged or obsessed by a subject in my life.

More than any other place in America, New York is the city Americans love to love,and love to hate — the King Kong of cities, the city that has inspired greater ambiva-lence than any other city in America. Yet, for almost 400 years, New York has been thecauldron of capitalism and democracy in America, and the supreme laboratory ofmodern life, where the most crucial American experiment of modern times continuesto unfold — the exhilarating, often harrowing experiment to see if all the peoples ofthe world can live together in a single place.

I hope that this guide is useful in provoking thoughtful debate in your classroomsabout the themes, stories and lessons included in our series, about your own city ortown, about the importance of cities in general, and perhaps most crucially, aboutthe nature of America itself.

Ric BurnsDirector

Ordering Information

Five two-hour videocassettes for NEW YORK: A DOCUMENTARY FILMare available through PBS Home Video, 1-800-PLAY-PBS. The com-panion book to the series, NEW YORK: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY,by Ric Burns and James Sanders with Lisa Ades, is published byKnopf, a division of Random House, and is available for $60 whereverbooks are sold. NEW YORK, the series’s original soundtrack com-posed and arranged by Brian Keane, is available on RCA Victor for$18.98 at stores nationwide.

This guide was produced by

Educational Resources Center Ruth Ann Burns, Director

Publisher: Robert A. MillerEditor: David Reisman, Ed.D.Design: B.T. Whitehill, Daniel Rhati-

gan, Adam Helfet-HillikerWriters: Jordan Brown, Allan L.

Damon, Eric Rothschild, AnneMarie Santoro, Gloria L. Sesso

Photo Editor: Christina L. DraperCopy Editor and Proofreader:

Sue Young WilsonResearch: Kimberly Yuen, Michael

WeinraubAdvisersRobert M. Dytell, President,Association of Teachers of SocialStudies/UFT

Steve Rivo, Steeplechase Films

Constantine Theodosiou, SocialStudies Teacher, Beach ChannelHigh School, New York

Grady Turner, Director of Exhibitions,The New-York Historical Society

Special thanks to the New-YorkHistorical Society

NEW YORK: A DOCUMENTARY FILMDirected by Ric Burnsis a special presentation of

A Steeplechase Films production inassociation with WGBH Boston,Thirteen/WNET New York, andthe New-York Historical Society. Director: Ric BurnsProducers: Lisa Ades and

Ric BurnsWriters: Ric Burns and

James Sanders

Funding for this teacher’s guide wasprovided by

Major funding for NEW YORK:A DOCUMENTARY FILM wasprovided by:

The Chase ManhattanCorporation

National Endowment for theHumanities

PBS/Corporation for PublicBroadcasting

Ford Foundation

The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations

Acknowledgments Letter from Ric BurnsA

Copyright © 1999 Thirteen/WNET New York

Cover photos, clockwise from upper left:COURTESY OF NEW YORK: A DOCUMENTARYFILM, © CORBIS IMAGES, COURTESY OFSTEEPLECHASE FILMS, COURTESY OF NEWYORK: A DOCUMENTARY FILM, © NATIONALARCHIVES — NT-959A-3, MUSEUM OF THECITY OF NEW YORK

This Page, background photo: © CORBIS IMAGES

TEACHER’S PAGES

The teacher’s informationpages provide scene lists forthe first five episodes of NEWYORK — tables of contentsfor each two-hour film — tohelp you determine whichsegments of the programs touse in class. (A scene list forEpisode Six was not availableat press time.) Vocabularywords, brief descriptions ofprominent people and places,and resources for each pro-gram (books and Web sites)are also included. General-interest resources are listedon the back cover of theguide.

LOG ON — THE NEWYORK WEB SITE

Learning Adventures in Citi-zenship: From New York toYour Town is an educationalWeb companion to NEWYORK for young people.Teachers, kids, and parentscan learn about the historyof New York and do activitiesdesigned to help kids learnmore about and participatein their own communities.Funded by the Markle Foun-dation, the Web site is full ofvideo clips from the series,historical documents, illustra-

New York: A Documentary FilmDirected by Ric Burns

N ew York is one of themost exciting cities inthe world. It’s a cen-

ter of economic and culturallife, attracting people fromaround the globe. New York iswhere ambitious peoplecome to test themselves,where those who feel differentcan find a sense of belonging.Some of its buildings andindustries are synonymouswith modernity, while evi-dence of its rich past is every-where. Its contrasts of greatwealth and poverty, its incred-ible organization and appar-ent defiance of logic — sodense, so complex, so difficultto grasp at once — lead oneto ask: Why did this happenhere, and not someplace else?How did New York come tobe what it is today?

NEW YORK: A DOCUMEN-TARY FILM is a six-part PBSseries that examines thehistory of the city, from itsbeginnings in 1624 as aDutch trading post throughits transformation into anurban colossus — a center of

trade, finance, and culture,and a source of ideas thathave shaped our country. Itilluminates little-knownfacets of American history,and provides perspective onsocial, political, economic,and cultural trends in ournation today.

HOW TO USETHIS GUIDE

This guide is intended to helpyou use NEW YORK: A DOCU-MENTARY FILM as a supple-ment to junior-high and high-school social-studies courses.Selected activities may also beused in language arts, music,and art classes.

THEMES

Key themes in this guideinclude governance, publichealth and other reforms,culture and public policy,immigration and race, eco-nomic life, and the role ofwomen in New York City’shistory. The guide is intendedto help students considercrucial questions relatedto these themes, and tohelp them use what they’velearned about the history ofNew York as a starting pointfor finding out more abouttheir own community.

STUDENT’S PAGES

The student’s pages are to bephotocopied and distributedto students before viewing aprogram, or segments of theprogram. These pagesinclude a brief programdescription, a primary source(a text, political cartoon, map,or photograph), discussionquestions, a brief profile,and activities. Some of theactivities are intended to bedone over a long period oftime. Please review the mate-rials carefully before makingassignments.

tions, and fun, explorableenvironments. Lesson plansfor teachers and guidelinesfor parents are included.

To take a virtual tour of“hidden” New York, to play aNew York trivia game, or learnmore about the six episodesand the making of the series,visit the NEW YORK seriesWeb site. Both Web sites are at www.thirteen.org/newyork/or www.pbs.org/newyork/

BROADCASTINFORMATION

The first five episodes of NEWYORK will be broadcast onthe following dates on PBS(check local listings):

Episode One, The Countryand the City (1609 –1825) Sunday, November 14, 1999

Episode Two, Order andDisorder (1825 –1865) Monday, November 15, 1999

Episode Three, Sunshine andShadow (1865 –1898)Tuesday, November 16, 1999

Episode Four, The Power andthe People (1898 –1914)Wednesday, November 17,1999

Episode Five, Cosmopolis(1914 –1931)Thursday, November 18, 1999

The series will be rebroadcastwith Episode Six, The Cityand the World (1931–2000)in Spring, 2000.

VIDEOTAPING RIGHTS

Off-air taping rights of NEWYORK: A DOCUMENTARYFILM are available to educa-tors for one year followingeach broadcast release.

Introduction I

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Background photo: © COLLECTION OF THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Overview

N ew York City began as aDutch trading post. In

1609, Henry Hudson, a Britishexplorer hired by the Dutch,sailed into what would laterbecome one of history’sbusiest, wealthiest harbors.Hudson had planned to find afaster route to the Orient forthe Dutch, to give them acompetitive edge. AlthoughHudson failed to find thefabled “Northwest Passage,”he saw the potential for tradewith the native people in theManhattan area, who calledthemselves the Lenape. Athriving fur-trading businessin New Amsterdam sparkedManhattan’s role as a leaderin the world of commerce andcapitalism. The colony wel-comed hard-working people

from different nations. By the1640s, there were 18 differentlanguages spoken there.

“The Country and the City”chronicles New York’s historyfrom its early years as a Dutchcolony to its takeover by theBritish Empire in 1664, to itspivotal position during theAmerican Revolution.Although America’s capitalmoved from New York toWashington, D.C., in 1790,Manhattan became the eco-nomic capital of the nation.The program ends in 1825with the triumphant comple-tion of the Erie Canal, cham-pioned by DeWitt Clinton andaccomplished by numerousimmigrant laborers. Clinton’sentrepreneurial act ensuredNew York’s position as afinancial and cultural center.

1. The grid commissionassigned the streets num-bers (e.g., 1st Street, FifthAvenue) rather than names.How did this facilitate thebuying and selling of land?How does this urban planreflect the ideals of democ-racy?

2. In what ways do youthink Manhattan’s naturallandscape needed to bechanged in order to executethe grid plan?

3. Compare this grid to a cur-rent map of Manhattan. Whatsimilarities and differences doyou notice? What clues sug-gest that parts of lower Man-hattan were developed priorto the 1800s?

The Country And the City (1609–1825) Broadcast Date: Sunday, November 14, 19991

NEW YORK: A Documentary Film

By the early 1800s, thriv-ing American cities in theMidwest looked as thoughthey might take awaybusiness from New York.To maintain New York’sdominance as a commer-cial center, DeWitt Clinton(1769–1828) proposed thedigging of the Erie Canal.This 363-mile-long water-way would connect theHudson River with LakeErie. Merchants would nolonger have to make the

long, dangerous tripoverland across the state.Completed in 1825, thecanal linked Albany toBuffalo and made thetransportation of peopleand products more eco-nomical. While he wasmayor and governor,DeWitt Clinton’s vision,creativity, and commit-ment improved publiceducation, aided the city’spoor, and updated cityplanning.

P R O F I L E

DeWitt Clinton

DeWitt Clinton symbolically pouring water from Lake Erie intothe Atlantic Ocean.

Manhattan’s population grew rapidly in the early 19thcentury. To simplify the sale and purchase of unsettledland located between 14th Street and Washington Heights,a commission led by Mayor DeWitt Clinton proposedreshaping the natural landscape and dividing the landinto about 2,000 rectangular blocks. Each plot of land wasequal — 100 feet long x 25 feet wide. The commission pre-sented this “grid” concept on a sprawling, eight-foot map.

Questions

P R I M A R Y S O U R C E

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THE “NEGRO PLOT”OF 1741

On March 18, 1741, mysteri-ous fires broke out in NewYork near the governor’shouse. Soon after, other unex-plained fires destroyed morehomes and businesses.Although there was almost noevidence, the English govern-ment became convinced thefires were part of a “NegroPlot.” Nearly half the adult

male slaves in New York werethrown in jail. In brutal pun-ishments reminiscent of theSalem Witch Trials, 13 slaveswere burned at the stake, 16blacks and 4 whites werehanged, and 70 more NewYorkers were deported. Usingbooks and Web sites, workwith a small group of studentsto research the “Uprising of1741.” With suggestions fromyour teacher, create a simu-lated TV news program thatdescribes the events of thisuprising. Be sure to includedebate among the differentpoints of view, such as a slavewho lost a family member;Mary Burton, the young whiteservant who testified; JusticeDaniel Horsmanden, the keyinvestigator; an English busi-nessman; and so on.

STREET NAMES ANDSTRUCTURE

Using resources from yourlocal historical society orpublic library, find out howsome prominent streets inyour town got their names.Who made the naming deci-sions? Are any streets namedafter founders of your town?Are any streets named after aperson whose business hasplayed an important role inyour city’s economy? Then,with help from your local his-torical society or publiclibrary, research how yourtown’s current organizationalplan originated. For example,why is “downtown” locatedwhere it is? Present your dis-coveries in the form of a largemap or mural that shows anoverview of your town or cityand how it came to be. If youwish, offer a proposal for howyou would re-organize yourtown if you were in charge.What industries and busi-nesses would you want toattract? Would you add morepublic parks? Improve publictransportation? Add anotherzoo? Another shopping mall?

A TRIP DOWN THEERIE CANAL

Although the Erie Canal is nolonger used for commercialpurposes, in the mid-1800s,this waterway was essentialfor transporting products andpeople to and from New York

City. Research the history ofthe Erie Canal. Find out, indetail, how a canal boat gotfrom one end to the other.What kinds of boats wereused? How did stone lockshelp during the journey? Howlong did it take for a boat toget from Buffalo, New York,to Manhattan? Once you’vegathered enough research,create a diary of a studenttraveling down the Erie Canalduring the 1830s, with oneentry per day of your trip.Describe the sights you see,and include some excerpts ofdialogue you “overhear.” Yourgoal is to help your readersfeel as though they’ve goneback in time. When you’redone, share your Erie Canaldiary entries with your class.You may also view the ErieCanal slide show at theNEW YORK Web site, athttp://www.thirteen.org/newyork/laic/episode1/topic7/e1_s1-ec.html

EARLY INHABITANTSAND SETTLERS

• Who were the first peopleto live in your area?

• Did they belong to a NativeAmerican tribe?

• When did settlers arrivefrom elsewhere in theworld?

• Did the Native Americansand the other settlers getalong?

• Were any famous battlesfought in your area?

• In what ways has your townor city changed since olderpeople’s childhood days?

Work with another student toresearch the answers to thesequestions. To gather addition-al information about yourarea’s history, you can use anaudiotape or videotaperecorder to interview someelderly townspeople (possiblyrelatives) about their earliestmemories. Alternately, youcould interview an expert at alocal history organization. Ifthere is a Native Americanorganization nearby, inter-view one of its membersabout his or her tribe’s historyin your area. Share your find-ings with others in your classin the form of a writtenreport, a short play, or avideotape presentation.

Student’s Pages The Country And the City (1609–1825) 1


L O O K I N G

F O R W A R D

Episode Two,Order andDisorder(1825–1865)New York becomes thenation’s greatest indus-trial metropolis, as amassive wave of Ger-man and Irish immigra-tion turns the city intoone of the world’s mostcomplex urban environ-ments. “Order and Dis-order” features the con-struction of CentralPark, Walt Whitman’spoetic celebration ofNew York, P.T. Barnum’sdime museum, AbrahamLincoln’s speech atCooper Union, and theNew York Draft Riots.

Complete one of the following activities.

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Overview

In 1825, New York waspeaceful, orderly, and rural,

with a population of less than175,000 people. The next fewdecades brought the tensionsand possibilities of the mod-ern age to Manhattan. Its resi-dents were faced with prob-lems including crime, gangs,fires, and disease. New publicservices were urgently need-ed. A huge wave of immigra-tion from Europe broughthundreds of thousands ofnew arrivals, who had tofind somewhere to live.

The city rose to the challengesof expansion, and Walt Whit-man celebrated New York’senergy and spirit in his mas-terpiece, Leaves of Grass. By1865, the city had a new firedepartment, waterworks, pop-ular newspapers, a world-class Central Park, mass enter-tainments, and whole newcommunities of immigrantswho added to its diversity andenergy. Still, during the CivilWar, New York was the site ofthe worst urban riot in Ameri-ca’s history, in which working-class white mobs murderedblacks in reaction to new fed-eral draft laws. The aftermathof the riots brought the found-ing of a new police force andimportant reforms on behalfof the poor.

The land where Central Parkwas built was not uninhab-ited. The map below showsSeneca Village, a thrivingcommunity of AfricanAmericans that existed from1825–1856, located between81st and 86th Streets nearEighth Avenue. It wasdemolished during the con-struction of Central Park.

Study the “TopographicalSurvey for the Grounds ofCentral Park.” Seneca Vil-lage’s population was stable.The AMA Zion Church (con-sidered to be a “wealthycoloured people’s church”);the Union Methodist Epis-copal Church, which housedone of the few black schoolsin New York City; and AllAngel’s Church served thecommunity. Irish and Ger-mans began moving intothe area in the 1840s. The AllAngels Church ministered toa mixed population.

The map shows a villagethat contains farmlands,houses, and churches. Thedark squares and rectanglesrepresent structures, most ofthem homes.

Questions

1. How would you describeSeneca Village based on themap?

2. Why do you think the parkdesigners were willing todestroy Seneca Village to cre-ate the park? How would thedesigners of Central Parkdefend their actions?

3. What defense could theleaders of Seneca Village useto try to stop the park’s devel-opment?

Study Winslow Homer’s paint-ing “Skating in Central Park.”

1. How are the people in thepainting making use of Cen-tral Park? Why? Which classesof people are in the painting— upper class, middle class,or lower class? How do youknow? What does the paintingsuggest about the purposeand function of Central Park?

2. Using the sources, explainwhich class of peopleappeared to have benefitedfrom Central Park. How canyou tell? Which group of peo-ple may not have benefited?Explain.

Order and Disorder (1825–1865) Broadcast Date: Monday, November 15, 19992


Topographical Survey forthe Grounds of Central Parkshowing Seneca Village

“Skating in Central Park,”Winslow Homer

Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman (1819–1892)was one of the mostextraordinary Americanpoets of the 19th century.He grew up in Brooklynand worked as a teacher,journalist, and editor ofthe newspaper TheBrooklyn Eagle beforepublishing the first editionof Leaves of Grass (1855),

a passionate work ofpoetry that celebratesegalitarianism and hisown individuality, as wellas sexuality and regenera-tion in nature. Consideredthe “father of free verse inAmerican literature,”Whitman has influencedgenerations of Americanpoets.

P R O F I L E

P R I M A R Y S O U R C E S

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P.T. BARNUM ANDPOPULAR CULTURE

Divide into cooperativegroups. Each group shoulduse library or Web resourcesto research and study one ormore of the following itemsfrom P.T. Barnum’s AmericanMuseum:

• an itinerary of Jenny Lind’sappearances

• The Wedding of TomThumb

• sheet music from the circusshows

• a description or picturesof the “Seven Salons” of theMuseum

• an excerpt from The Illus-trated Guidebook

Answer the following:

1. Describe the entertain-ment value of your story ordocument.

2. Why did Barnum include itin his museum?

3. What does it tell you aboutpopular culture in New Yorkand the United States at thetime?

4. Why did the sideshowexhibits feature people of dif-ferent races?

After you develop youranswers to the questions,each group should report itsfindings to the class. Based onthe answers and the informa-tion in Episode Two, discussthe following:

1. To what extent did Bar-num’s museum appeal to theracist sentiments of the time?

2. To what extent wasBarnum’s museum an expres-sion of American and urbanculture?

LINCOLN’S COOPERUNION SPEECH

Using a text fro m the libraryor the Web (www.netins.net/showcase/creative/lincoln/speeches/cooper.htm),analyze a copy of Lincoln’s“Cooper Union” speech fromFebruary 27, 1860. Answerthe following questions:

1. What is Lincoln sayingabout the Republican Party’srelationship to abolitionism?To John Brown?

2. As a class, debate whetherLincoln’s speech was a uni-fying or dividing force inAmerica.

LEAVES OF GRASS

Using library resources, findand share excerpts from WaltWhitman’s Leaves of Grass,such as “Song of Myself” or“Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.”With a partner, discuss yourfirst reactions to the poem.What do you think WaltWhitman is talking about?Who is he glorifying? Afterdiscussing the poems withthe class, write an essayexplaining whether youagree or disagree with WaltWhitman’s views of democra-cy in New York City, and why.

For more on Walt, visitWalt Whitman’s City onthe NEW YORK Web site athttp://www.thirteen.org/newyork/laic/episode2/topic7/e2_topic7.html

THE DRAFT RIOTS

Work in cooperative learninggroups to create a Cause-and-Effect chart on the 1863 draftriots. After each group com-pletes its chart, take turnspresenting the informationyou feel is essential to eachcolumn. After the presenta-tions, analyze the draft riotsby answering the followingquestions:

1. Why did the rioters engagein such violence? Were theyjustified in their frustrationwith the Draft Act? Why?

2. Why did the rioters targetAfrican Americans?

3. How do race and class helpexplain the draft riots?

Student’s Pages Order and Disorder (1825–1865) 2


L O O K I N G

F O R W A R D

Episode Three,Sunshine andShadow(1865–1898)This episode examinesthe era when the expan-sion of wealth andpoverty — and theschism between them —built to a crescendo.“Sunshine and Shadow”features Boss Tweedand Tammany Hall, theopening of the BrooklynBridge, and the annex-ing of Brooklyn,Queens, the Bronx,and Staten Island intoa single metropolis —Greater New York.


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Activities1. Draw a cartoon with apolitical message. You don’thave to be a skilled illustratorto do so. Even stick figureswill do. If you can, in yourcartoon, comment on somelocal political issue or onsome issue in your school.You are welcome to be biased!

2. Stage a debate with at leastfive other students in yourclass that wrestles with thefollowing situation: You areon the edge of poverty. Wouldyou support a politician or anorganization with your votesthat, though shady or evendishonest in public dealings,made sure to support you, ifyou had an economic crisisor had trouble with the law?

3. Explore Tammany Hall onthe NEW YORK Web site andcheck out the activity “SmartArt”: http://www.thirteen.org/newyork/laic/episode3/topic6/e3_topic6.html

QuestionsUse the cartoon, EpisodeThree, and a little researchto answer the following.

1. Who are William M.“Boss” Tweed (Tweedledee)and Peter Sweeny (Sweedle-dum)? What is TammanyHall?

2. What social class are thepeople receiving themoney? How can you tell?Where is the money comingfrom? At what time of yearis this cartoon taking place?Does it matter? Why?

3. What is the Clown(Tweed) suggesting whenhe says, “Let’s blind themwith this, and then takesome more?”

4. What was the cartoonist,Thomas Nast, suggestingabout the real financialwinners in the publictreasury raid?

Overview

In the 33 years covered bythis episode, New York City

changed more dramaticallythan in any period in its histo-ry. From a merchant city tothe second largest metropolisin the world, New York tookcenter stage.

Central Park, begun beforethe Civil War, was supposedto bring peace and breathingspace to New York. Instead,the area around it was occu-pied within decades, as the“Gilded Age” brought stun-ning wealth to J.P. Morgan,Jay Gould, and Jim Fisk, whobuilt mansions on the park’seastern border, Fifth Avenue.At the same time, legions ofnew immigrants arrived, mostsqueezed into tenements inthe older corners of the cityfar from the park that hadbeen promoted as beneficialto them. The bosses ofTammany Hall and the photo-graphs of Jacob Riis servedthese new poor in differentways, but by the turn of thecentury, the gap betweenrich and poor had neverbeen greater.

New Yorkers also tackledtremendous projects duringthese years. They raised themoney to put together theStatue of Liberty and raisedher to her feet in New YorkHarbor. They built the Brook-lyn Bridge, an engineeringmarvel that cost the lives ofmany and connected Brook-lyn, America’s first suburb,to Manhattan. And, in themost extraordinary “struc-ture” of all, by a vote of allNew Yorkers in December,1897, Brooklyn joined Man-hattan, Staten Island, Queens,and the Bronx to become partof New York City.

Sunshine and Shadow (1865–1898) Broadcast Date: Tuesday, November 16, 19993


P R O F I L E

Horatio AlgerHoratio Alger(1832–1899) was apopular writer whosemore than one hundrednovels glorified theAmerican Dream. Anumber of his worksfocused on the experi-ences of New Yorknewsboys. While hisworks were fiction,Alger’s descriptionsof the neighborhoodsof New York helped ageneration of youngmen who were movingfrom farm to city findtheir way.


TWEEDLEDEE AND SWEEDLEDUM.(A new Christmas Pantomime at the Tammany Hall.)

Clown (to Pantaloon). “Let’s Blind them with this, and them take some more.”

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Harper’s Weekly, January 14, 1871

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THE SQUARE ANDTHE MALL

Central Park was the “greatpublic square” of mid-centuryNew York. Is the mall today’sgreat public square? Write abrief paper contrasting yourobservations of your nearestmall with the descriptions ofCentral Park in this and theprevious episode.

Sunshine and Shadow (1865–1898)

FRESHMAN CLASS:1898

Lucky you! It’s 1898 and thepresident of a brand newand totally fictional college,the University of New York,has asked you to serve onits admissions committee.You and the other committeemembers, your classmates,will be selecting the firsteight students in the fresh-man class at UNY. Eighteenhistorical figures haveapplied. (Some are dead, butthat’s OK; remember, this is asimulation!) The applicantsare: Joshua Beal, Russell H.Conwell, Thomas Alva Edison,Jim Fisk, Henry George, JayGould, J.P. Morgan, ThomasNast, Frederick Law Olmsted,Jacob Riis, John AugustusRoebling, Emily Roebling,Washington Roebling, AlSmith, Emma Stebbins,William M. Tweed, CorneliusVanderbilt, and Walt Whit-man. In making your selec-tions, you should consider allof the applicant’s accom-

plishments as adults up toand including 1898.

Your teacher will assign youyour role. Depending on thesize of your class, either oneor two of you is responsiblefor presenting the candidacyof one of the applicants. Youand your partner, if you haveone, may decide that yourapplicant is wildly inappro-priate for UNY. That’s fine.

Using the content of NEWYORK and any additionalresearch you wish, write upyour presentation and shareit with your teacher at least aweek before the admissionsboard meeting. Your teacherwill return it to you in a fewdays with suggestions forimprovement, if any areneeded.

When the presentations begin,listen closely and take notes.(Your teacher may give you asheet to guide your notetak-ing.) Doing so will help you,because, just after the admis-sions committee has heard

about all the potential candi-dates, you will have to write apaper in which you rank yourtop eight students. It is veryimportant to write an openingparagraph in which you out-line your goals for the Univer-sity of New York, with specificreference to as many of thesetopics as possible: gover-nance, public health andother reforms, culture andpublic policy, immigrationand race, the role of women,and economic life. The stu-dents you select should squarewith your goals, because theywill influence life in New Yorkin the 20th century.

Finally, the admissions boardwill meet and debate the mer-its of each applicant. Aftereight are selected, each ofyou, using your notes, willmake roommate assignments.

HOW THE OTHERHALF LIVES

The camera for Jacob Riisbecame an instrument ofsocial change. Now, morethan a hundred years later,can you do the same? Withyour teacher’s and your par-ents’ approval, documentsome situation or conditionin your hometown, and, likeRiis, provide the text toaccompany it.

As an alternative, you maywrite an imaginary letter fromJacob Riis to your local news-paper commenting on thehomeless in American citiestoday. Then write a letterresponding to Riis that accus-es him of bias and of stagingthe vignette in the photo-graph from How the OtherHalf Lives.

Student’s Pages Sunshine and Shadow (1865–1898) 3


From Jacob Riis’s How theOther Half Lives, “In theHomes of an Italian Rag-Picker, Jersey Street”


L O O K I N G

F O R W A R D

Episode Four,The Power andthe People(1898–1914)This episode looks atthe period in whichmore than ten millionimmigrants arrived inNew York harbor. “ThePower and the People”also shows how thesharp divisions betweenrich and poor wereaddressed during theProgressive Era,and how the expansionof New York outward toBrooklyn was matchedby the vertical expan-sion of Manhattan’sskyscrapers.

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Overview

A s the twentieth centurydawned, New York

underwent extraordinarytransformations that madethe city the social, cultural,and economic center of theUnited States. Skyscrapers,such as the Flatiron Building,changed both Manhattan’sskyline and the lives of itspeople; the subways opened a

new world beneath the city.In one generation, GreaterNew York’s population morethan doubled — from 1.91million in 1880 to 4.77 millionin 1910 — as an endless waveof immigrants made its wayacross the Atlantic, the new-comers displacing earlierarrivals in the teeming slumsof lower Manhattan and inthe needle and constructiontrades. One hundred forty-two of them (mostly teenagedgirls) died in the Triangle Firein 1911, a preventable tragedythat renewed the efforts ofprogressive reformers andpolitical figures like Al Smithto improve urban housing,public health, and workingconditions. In seeking govern-mental solutions to urban ills,New York again set the agendafor change nationwide.

Below, an English historian,H.G. Wells, describes a day atEllis Island in 1906 as thou-sands of immigrants “fromIreland and Poland and Italyand Syria and Finland andAlbania” and elsewhere waitin long lines for permissionto enter America.

Questions1. Like many other com-mentators on immigration,H. G. Wells was struck bythe relative youthfulness ofthe newcomers to America.What was there about emi-gration (leaving the oldcountry) and immigration(entering the new) that

made the process especiallyappealing to the young?

2. What was Wells’s reactionto the volume of immigrationas he observed it in 1906?What groups then in Americamight have taken a differentpoint of view? What reasonswould they give for theirposition? How would Wellsrespond to them?

3. Many immigrants to Amer-ica were torn between theirdesire to maintain their cul-tural identity and their wishto be assimilated as Ameri-cans. In 1898-1914, whatmajor factors helped immi-grant New Yorkers hold onto “old country” ways? What

factors led them to becomeAmericanized? Does that ten-sion between “old country”and “new” exist in Americansociety today?

Activities1. Research the immigrationhistory of an ethnic group ornationality living in New Yorkfrom 1898 to 1914. (Youmight choose one from yourown heritage.) Answer thesequestions: How many hadentered America by 1914?What was the peak year ofimmigration? What condi-tions in their homeland ledthem to America? Did theyface special problems onarrival here? Report yourfindings to your class.

2. Imagine yourself as animmigrant at Ellis Island in1900. Write a letter to afriend in the old countryabout your experiences fromthe time you left home untilthis moment when you waitto be cleared for entry intothe United States.

3. Before 1880, immigrantswere denied entry to Americaonly for disease, a murderconviction, or a disabilitythat prevented employment.Between 1881 and 1924,Congress voted more thanone hundred other restric-tions, including politicalbehavior, race, and ethnicity.With other classmates, formtwo teams and debate theproposition: “It is in thenational interest that immi-gration to the United Statesbe open and unrestricted.”

4. Take the virtual tour ofEllis Island on the Web siteat http://www.thirteen.org/newyork/laic/episode4/topic1/e4_topic1.html

The Power and the People (1898–1914) Broadcast Date: Wednesday, November 17, 19994



. . . All day long, through an intricate series of metal

pens, the long procession files, step by step, bearing bun-

dles and trunks and boxes, past this examiner and that,

past the quick, alert medical officers, the tallymen and the

clerks. At every point immigrants are being picked out and

set aside for further medical examination, for questions, for

the busy little courts, but the main procession satisfies con-

ditions, passes on. . . .

On they go, from this pen to that, pen by pen, towards

a desk at a little metal wicket — the gate of America. . . .

[A]ll day long, every two or three seconds an immigrant,

with valise or a bundle, passes the little desk and goes on

past the well–managed money–changing place, past the

carefully organized separating ways that go to this railway

or that, past the guiding, protecting officials — into a new

world. The great majority are young men and young

women, between seventeen and thirty, good, youthful,

hopeful, peasant stock. They stand in a long string, wait-

ing to go through that wicket, with bundles, with little tin

boxes, with cheap portmanteaus, with odd packages, in

pairs, in families, alone. . . All day that string of human

beads waits there, jerks forward, waits again, all day and

every day, constantly replenished, constantly dropping the

end beads through the wicket. . . .

In one record day this month 21,000 immigrants came

into the port of New York alone; in one week over

50,000. This year the total will be 1,200,000 souls, pour-

ing in, finding work at once, producing no fall in wages.

They start digging and building and making. Just think of

the dimensions of it!

— From: The Future in America (1906), by H.G. Wells

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The Flatiron Building underconstruction in 1901 at theintersection of Broadway andFifth Avenue. For a brief time,its 21 stories made it thetallest building in Manhattannorth of the financial district.

Questions1. What does this photoreveal about New York Cityin 1901?

2. What technological andcommercial changes in the

late 19th century,as described in thisepisode of NEWYORK, made possi-ble the construc-tion of buildingslike the Flatiron?

3. What changeswould you expectto find in suchthings as trans-portation, streettraffic, buildings,and architecturalstyle if this sitewere photographedtoday?

RIVER VIEWS ANDCATTLE CARS

Report to your class on thebenefits and drawbacks tocity living of high-rise build-ings and public transporta-tion (like subways and elevat-ed railways).

INVESTIGATING THETRIANGLE FIRE

Turn your class into a legisla-tive committee investigatingthe Triangle Fire. Take testi-mony from “experts” on suchquestions as these: “Who isresponsible for safety in theworkplace?” “If governmenthas a role, what is it?” “Whatlaws or regulations should bewritten to protect workersfrom tragedies like the Trian-gle Fire?”

As an alternative, researchand report on how fire andsafety regulations werechanged because of theTriangle Fire.

EVIDENCE FOR THEFUTURE

Take a photograph or make asketch of an important inter-section in your community.(Date your work and indicatethe time of day.) How do youthink future historians mightinterpret what you show?

ALTERNATIVE REALITY:NEW YORK CITY

Write an essay about whatmight have happened toNew York if buildings hadnot risen above six stories,the subway had not beenbuilt, and the populationhad not been increased bymass immigration.

Student’s Pages The Power and the People (1898–1914) 4



L O O K I N G

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Episode Five,Cosmopolis(1914–1931)In a short but dazzlingperiod, New Yorkbecame the focal pointof an extraordinaryarray of human and cul-tural energies, reachingits highest levels ofurban excitement andglamour. “Cosmopolis”features artistic cre-ations like GeorgeGershwin’s “Rhapsodyin Blue,” the HarlemRenaissance, the rise ofthe new media indus-tries of advertising andradio, and the construc-tion of the Empire StateBuilding.


Lillian Wald (1867-1940)came to New York fromCincinnati to study andremained for a lifetime ofpublic service among the

poor. Appalled by the over-crowded, disease-riddenslums where many immi-grants lived, she was con-vinced that poverty couldbe eradicated throughneighborhood improve-ments in housing, school-ing, and public health. Atrained nurse, she madepublic-health services herprincipal means of trans-forming urban life. Aidedby philanthropists likeJacob Schiff, Wald estab-lished the Henry StreetSettlement (1895) to pro-vide visiting nurses to thehomes of the poor. Withina decade, Henry Streetwas internationally

renowned for its free,comprehensive programsin health-care, hygiene,and cultural educationfor immigrant families.In 1902, Wald and LinaRoberts set up the nation’sfirst public-school nursingservice in New York. Tenyears later, Wald wasinstrumental in gettingCongress to create theU.S. Children’s Bureau.Throughout her longcareer, she was guidedby her belief that everyonewas entitled to dignityand compassion, and thateach person had a respon-sibility for the well-beingof others.

P R O F I L E

Lillian Wald

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nation’s jazz-music fans.During this era, New Yorkalso became a media center,due to new radio networks,recording companies, andthe booming advertising andpublishing industries. OnOctober 29, 1929, when NewYork’s stock market crashed,“roaring ’20s” New Yorkershad to face reality again.

Overview

Soon after the First WorldWar, New York City blos-

somed into an extraordinarilycreative and progressiveplace, which F. Scott Fitzger-ald called “the land of ambi-tion and success.” New York’saffluence, sophistication, anddecadence during “the JazzAge” were epitomized byFitzgerald’s novel The GreatGatsby. During this time, NewYork’s skyline took shape, asskyscrapers such as theChrysler Building were built.Fueled by the migration ofhundreds of African-Ameri-can writers, artists, and musi-cians, Harlem became theundisputed capital of blackculture in America. Duringthe Harlem Renaissance,Manhattan provided a nurtur-ing environment for writerssuch as Langston Hughes.African-American musicianssuch as Duke Ellington andLouis Armstrong dazzled the

1. During what period inAmerican history do youthink this paragraph waswritten? What clues from thetext support your guess?

2. What did F. Scott Fitzger-ald think was “the crowningerror” of New York City?Why?

3. Research Alfred E. Smith.Using clues from thisexcerpt, what was the “rashgift” he gave to the citizensof New York?

4. Using clues from thisexcerpt, infer some reasonswhy people such as customsagents, barbers, and waitersacted differently than usualduring “The Jazz Age.”

5. If Fitzgerald were alivetoday, what observations doyou think he would makeabout his “lost city”? WouldFitzgerald still regard NewYork as a lost city?

Cosmopolis (1914–1931) Broadcast Date: Thursday, November 18, 19995


Zora Neale HurstonDuring the literary andcultural moment known asthe Harlem Renaissance,Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) wrote her famousnovel Their Eyes WereWatching God. Based onoral histories, life experi-ence, and her studies ofAfrican-American folklore,this story tells the tale ofa black woman’s searchfor spiritual growth inan oppressive society.Hurston, who viewedher racial heritage asa source of deep pride,once wrote: “I do notbelong to the sobbingschool of Negrohoodwho hold that naturesomehow has given thema lowdown dirty deal andwhose feelings are all hurt

about it.” AlthoughHurston died pennilessand mostly forgotten in1960, interest in her workwas revived during the1980s, particularly due tothe efforts of author AliceWalker.

P R O F I L E

Questions


from “My Lost City” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

In the dark autumn of twoyears later we saw New Yorkagain. We passed through

curiously polite customs agents,and then with bowed head and hatin hand I walked reverentlythrough the echoing tomb. Amongthe ruins a few childish wraithsstill played to keep up the pre-tense that they were alive, betray-ing by their feverish voices andhectic cheeks the thinness of the masquerade. Cocktail par-ties, a last hollow survival from the days of carnival, echoedto the plaints of the wounded: “Shoot me, for the love of God,someone shoot me!”, and the groans and wails of the dying:“Did you see that United States Steel is down three morepoints?” My barber was back at work in his shop; again thehead waiters bowed people to their tables, if there were peopleto be bowed. From the ruins, lonely and inexplicable as thesphinx, rose the Empire State Building and, just as it had beena tradition of mine to climb to the Plaza Roof to take leave ofthe beautiful city, extending as far as eyes could reach, so nowI went to the roof of the last and most magnificent of towers.Then I understood — everything was explained: I had discov-ered the crowning error of the city, its Pandora’s box. Full ofvaunting pride the New Yorker had climbed here and seen withdismay what he had never suspected, that the city was not theendless succession of canyons that he had supposed but thatit had limits — from the tallest structure he saw for the firsttime that it faded out into the country on all sides, into anexpanse of green and blue that alone was limitless. And withthe awful realization that New York was a city after all and nota universe, the whole shining edifice that he had reared in hisimagination came crashing to the ground. That was the rashgift of Alfred E. Smith to the citizens of New York.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

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WOMEN OFTHE HARLEMRENAISSANCE

During the 1920s, patronA’lelia Walker organized lavishevents to bring togetherAfrican-American authorswith publishers and otherpatrons. Her personality andlifestyle inspired LangstonHughes to dub her the “joygoddess of Harlem’s 1920s.”Another prominent womanduring this time was ZoraNeale Hurston, author of nov-els such as Their Eyes WereWatching God. Research thelife of Walker or Hurston andfind out more about their roleduring the Harlem Renais-sance. Then, create a presen-tation about them to sharewith your class. It can be inthe form of a biographicalpaper, a play, an oral report,a multimedia presentation,or a mural.

HIGH AS THE SKY

Research the dramatic storyof the construction of NewYork City’s famous icon, theEmpire State Building. To setthe stage, discuss the “sky-scraper wars” from the ’20s,including the competition

between the Chrysler Build-ing and the Bank of Manhat-tan Building. Find theanswers to these questions:What factors helped the rapidconstruction of the EmpireState Building? What role didAlfred E. Smith play in creat-ing this famous skyscraper?For how many years did theEmpire State Building remainthe tallest skyscraper in theworld? Write a research paperor create an annotated mural(with photographs if possible)that shares with other stu-dents what you’ve discovered.As an alternative, research theconstruction of a famous his-torical building in your townor city. Find out what build-ings, if any, needed to bedemolished beforehand. Whatwas the original purpose ofthis building? Has this pur-pose changed over the years?

SO LONG, SALOONS!

In 1917, Congress approvedthe 18th Amendment to theConstitution. This amend-ment — known as Prohibition— stated that, as of 1920, itwould be illegal for Ameri-cans to manufacture, sell, ortransport liquor. Many Ameri-cans rebelled against this law.People called “bootleggers”made their own liquor, gang-sters smuggled in alcoholfrom other countries, and ille-gal bars called “speakeasies”thrived. In 1933, Congressacknowledged the failure ofthis experiment by passingthe 21st Amendment, whichended national Prohibition.Write a research paper or oralpresentation in which youdiscuss the pros and cons ofnational Prohibition (e.g.,effects on people’s health,organized crime). Find outhow this law affected yourtown or city. What methods

did your local governmentuse to try to combat illegaldrinking? Conclude yourpaper or presentation byexamining contemporary atti-tudes toward alcohol andother drugs in America.

GOING UP, GOINGDOWN

In this activity, imagine youhave $10,000 to invest in thestock market. Use the busi-ness section of the newspa-per, or an Internet site suchas YAHOO finance research(http://finance.yahoo.com),to track five stocks over theperiod of a month. Writedown your reason for select-ing each of the stocks. Bykeeping daily logs (or anonline chart) of the ups anddowns, as well as notingevents that might have con-tributed to these changes,you will gain a greater under-standing of both the stockmarket’s volatility and itsprofitability.

AND IF YOU ORDERTODAY...

The advent of national radioprograms supported by massadvertising helped develop a“consumer society” in Ameri-ca. This shift in consumerpurchasing had to do bothwith mass production andattitudes about aspiration,“keeping up with the Jone-ses.” Use your local libraryto research some print adver-tisements that appeared innewspapers, magazines, orcatalogues during the 1920sand 30s. Create a writtenreport in which you contrastthese ads with ones you findin modern publications. Doyou think people in the ‘20sand ‘30s were more gulliblethan they are today? Discussthe ways in which you believeyou are susceptible to adver-tisements and ways in whichyou are aware when compa-nies are trying to persuadeyou to buy products you don’treally need.

Student’s Pages Cosmopolis (1914–1931) 5



L O O K I N G

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Episode Six,The City andthe World(1931–2000)NEW YORK concludesin Spring, 2000, with“The City and theWorld,” an examinationof the Depression andthe New Deal, the eco-nomic and populationbooms of the 1950s,the enormous influenceof Robert Moses onthe city and its sur-roundings, and thegrass-roots reactionto “urban renewal” —the historic-preserva-tion movement.

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Overview

During Depression-eraNew York, poverty and

social unrest drove many NewYorkers to the brink of desper-ation. In response, New Dealprograms — direct descen-dents of New York’s socialprograms of the previous20 years, administered byFranklin D. Roosevelt anda team of New York-trainedpolicy makers — began a flowof money from Washingtonto the city. Mayor La Guardiaaggressively took advantage ofthe new largesse, and with hismaster builder Robert Moses,used the untold billions torebuild New York — not onlybringing the city out of itsdoldrums but also giving it aremarkable infrastructure forfuture growth.

These federal programs pre-cipitated a dramatic changein New York’s hegemony asthe center of American power.Yet, following the 1939 World’sFair and World War II, NewYork emerged as the de-factocapital of world culture, rati-fied by its selection as hometo the United Nations. NewYork’s post-war growthseemed boundless as Mosesmarshaled enormous powerto reshape the geography ofthe metropolis, focusingresources on suburbanexpansion and the middle-class, rather than addressingthe needs of the expandingurban underclass and thenow-rotting inner-city infra-structure.

The destruction of PennStation served as a wake-upcall to the city’s landmarks-preservation movement, andurbanists like Jane Jacobsreaffirmed the need to pre-serve city neighborhood life.

The motto of New YorkCity’s1939 World’s Fair was“Building the World ofTomorrow.” The City of theFuture diorama was thecentral focus of the GeneralMotors Futurama exhibitthere. Visitors moved inchairs equipped with indi-vidual loudspeakers aroundthe 36,000-square-footmodel. Although there were600 moving chairs, thisdesign gave each rider thefeeling of experiencing a pri-vate show. The last wordsvisitors heard the narratorsay were, “All eyes to thefuture.”

People coming off the ridefound themselves standingin front of an impressive,life-size intersection, imag-ining how the streets theyhad just seen in the dioramawould look in 1960. Theysaw that the cars were onthe street level while pedes-trian sidewalks were raisedone level above.

Research the inventions andideas that were introduced tothe world for the first time atthis exhibit.

Questions1. Did everything introducedat the exhibit become part ofAmerican daily life in 1960,as promised?

2. What was the vision thatinspired the creators andbuilders of the 1939 World’sFair?

3. What impact did the auto-mobile and the highway haveon the quality of life in NewYork City? In the nation?

4. Brainstorm the actions thatcould be initiated to ease andeventually eliminate automo-bile traffic and congestionwhere you live.

Activities1. See if you can find oldmaps of your town or city atthe local historical society,city hall, or public library.Discuss what changes haveoccurred over the years, andmake guesses as to what fac-tors caused these changes.

2. Working in teams, choosea variety of intersections inyour neighborhood andbuild a diorama showinghow you want your area tolook in the year 2020. Placeyour school at the center,and branch out from there.Make a list of what shouldbe improved. Decide whataction steps can be taken tocreate these improvements.What resources will be need-ed? Develop a timeline thatshows how this dream canhappen. You may also createa school club whose mem-bers will work on this contin-uing project long after yougraduate.

The City and the World (1931–2000) Airing in Spring, 20006



In 1939, GM’s Futuramadepicted 1960 as a car-centered world, includingseven-lane highways andenormous skyscrapers.

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SOCIAL UNREST ANDCREATIVITY“When the mode of themusic changes, the walls ofthe city shake.” — Plato

Come senators, congressmenPlease heed the callDon’t stand in the doorwayDon’t block up the hallFor he that gets hurtWill be he who has stalledThere’s a battle outsideAnd it is ragin’.It’ll soon shake your windowsAnd rattle your wallsFor the times they are

a-changin’.

— from “The Times They AreA-Changin’” by Bob Dylan

Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991

Special Rider Music

Pioneering civil-rights legisla-tion outlawing racial discrimi-nation in government-assist-ed and private housing, inemployment, and in educa-tion was first written andenforced in New York City.However, there is still plentyof work to do to correct thefailures and fulfill the nation’sgreat promise of a diverse,democratic, and just society.

Along with being a place ofhope and promise, New Yorkcan often be a place of crueltyand contradiction. Use thelibrary and the Internet to

research the civil and socialunrest of the 1960s in NewYork City and across thenation. Divide up into threegroups and find examples offive songs, five films, and fivebooks that reflected the socialtension of this time. Worktogether to create a presenta-tion for your class that illus-trates how this socialupheaval was expressedthrough the talent of thesespecific musicians, filmmak-ers, and writers. Who are theircounterparts who are creatingin the 2000s?

NEIGHBORHOODURBAN PLANNING

Brainstorm the followingurban-planning scenarios insmall groups:

• How would street lifechange if local residentsbanned automobiles inyour neighborhood?

• How would planting andcaring for trees, shrubbery,and flowers change the lifeand spirit of a city streetand its residents?

• What is gained when his-toric buildings are treatedas treasures?

With your teacher’s help,write a survey and distributeit to people in your neighbor-hood, asking what makes acity street vital and safe. Tabu-late the responses and discussthe results in class, or circu-late them in a printednewsletter or on the Internet.

CHALLENGING THESYSTEM

Two women challenged thepower of Robert Moses. WhileLillian Edelstein lost the bat-tle to save South Bronx neigh-borhoods from bulldozerdestruction in the Fifties, JaneJacobs stopped Moses’ inva-sion of Greenwich Village dur-ing the Sixties. Working inteams, research, write, andproduce two one-act plays orhold two mock debates thatvividly illustrate the dramaticclashes these courageouswomen had with New YorkCity’s power broker of urbanrenewal.

Here are some suggestedways to approach yourresearch:

• Find out how Robert Moseswas written about at thetime of his death. Why washe such a controversialfigure in New York City

history? Were the meansMoses used to achieve hispublic works compatiblewith the principles of a truedemocracy?

• Imagine New York Citywithout Robert Moses. Howwould the city be different?What would the SouthBronx look like today? Howwould it feel? What wouldthe noise levels be? Findand compare a map of thecity before the Moses build-ing projects with a map ofthe city at the end of hiscareer.

Perform the plays or thedebates for your class as adress rehearsal and then foryour school. Afterwards, havean open discussion on thepersonal strength it takes tostand up and fight for whatyou believe is right for yourneighborhood, your city, yourcountry, and your world.

Student’s Pages The City and the World (1931–2000) 6


Robert Moses

New York City’s greatpublic-works builder,Robert Moses (1888-1981), was never votedinto public office, but hewielded enormous powerover five mayors and sixgovernors. A man with adynamic personality, greatintellect, and indomitablewill, he built highways,parks, and controversial

public-works projectsover a period of 44 years.Moses’ influence wasfelt nationally when hementored the engineerswho designed the inter-state highway system.Ironically, even though hisurban planning vision cen-tered on automobiles andhighways, Moses neverdrove a car.

When asked by a FordhamUniversity student aftera lecture in the 1970s,“What obligation doesan urban planner oweto the future?”, RobertMoses replied, “None.”In the end, he becamethe type of arrogantpower broker he oncedespised as a young,idealistic public reformer.

P R O F I L E

Complete one of the following activities

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Episode One

The Countryand the City (1609–1825)Sunday, November 14, 9–11 P.M.

SCENE LIST

1. Introduction2. New Amsterdam3. English Colony4. 1741 Slave Revolt5. American Revolution6. The Deal7. Alexander Hamiltonand the American City8. DeWitt Clinton:The Grid and theErie Canal9. Epilogue

VOCABULARY

Dutch West India Company:an international trading com-pany created in 1621 toadminister New Amsterdam

Knickerbocker: a descendentof the early Dutch settlers ofNew York; term derived fromthe writer Washington Irving’spseudonym, DietrichKnickerbocker

Lenape: Native Americantribe that originally inhabitedwhat is now New York City

real estate speculation: buy-ing land or buildings to resellthem for large profits

shipping: sending out orreceiving goods by ship

PEOPLEAlexander Hamilton(1755 –1804): New York states-man and U.S. Secretary of theTreasury

Washington Irving(1783 –1859): author of thefictitious History of New York

Peter Stuyvesant(1610–1672): Dutch adminis-trator of New Amsterdam

Cornelius Vanderbilt(1794 –1877): industrialist

PLACES

Erie Canal: artificial waterwaythrough New York State, com-pleted in 1825, connecting theHudson River with the GreatLakes

Manhattan Island: the firstpart of New York City settledby Europeans

New York Harbor: a portsince the 1600s, and themouth of the Hudson River

RESOURCES

Books

Nonfiction

Brookhiser, Richard. Alexan-der Hamilton, American. NewYork: Free Press, 1999.

Cornog, Evan. DeWitt Clintonand the American Experience,1769–1828. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1998.

Davis, Thomas J. Rumor ofRevolt: The “Great Negro Plot”in Colonial New York. Reprint.Amherst, Mass.: University ofMassachusetts Press, 1990.

Hansen, Joyce and GaryMcGowan. Breaking Ground,Breaking Silence: The Story ofNew York’s African BurialGround. New York: HenryHolt, 1998.

Kraft, Herbert C. The Lenapeor Delaware Indians: TheOriginal People of New Jersey,Southeastern New York State,Eastern Pennsylvania. 2nd ed.South Orange, N.J.: Seton HallUniversity Museum, 1996.

Folk Tales

Hitakonanulaxk. The Grand-fathers Speak: Native Ameri-can Folk Tales of the LenapePeople (International FolkTale Series). Northhampton,Mass.: Interlink PublishingGroup, 1994.

Fiction

Irving, Washington. DiedrichKnickerbocker’s A History ofNew York. Tarrytown, N.Y.:Sleepy Hollow Press, 1981.

Web Sites

Delaware (Lenape) Tribe ofIndians: Homepagehttp://206.103.98.155/

National Canal Museum:Erie Canalhttp://canals.org/erie.htm

New York Canals: The First Boat that Passedthrough the Erie Canalhttp://www.canals.state.ny.us/history/b2p21-3.htm

New Netherland ProjectHome Pagehttp://www.nnp.org/

Episode Two

Order and Disorder (1825–1865)Monday, November 15, 9–11 P.M.

SCENE LIST

1. Introduction2. The Impact of the ErieCanal: Economic Boom3. Urban Life: The PennyPress and P.T. Barnum4. German and IrishImmigration5. Problems: Nativism,Crowding, Disease, andClass Conflict6. Walt Whitman:Leaves of Grass7. Central Park8. The Gathering Storm:Lincoln and the Outbreakof Civil War9. The Draft Riots10. Epilogue

VOCABULARY

draft lottery: federal-govern-ment system to conscript sol-diers for the Civil War; includ-ed a clause allowing draftedmen to buy their way out for$300

Irish Potato Famine: cropfailures in Ireland beginningin 1854 that spurred immigra-tion to New York City

Know-Nothing Party: a 19th-century secret political organ-ization hostile to the politicalinfluence of Roman Catholicsand recent immigrants

tenement: an apartmenthouse in the city that meetsminimum standards for safetyand comfort

PEOPLE

P.T. Barnum (1810–1891):dime-museum showman

Abraham Lincoln(1809 –1865): 16th presidentof the United States

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Note: Segments in the scene lists in bold relate toquestions and activities on the student’s pages.

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Peter Stuyvesant and the Trumpeter, (The Wrath of PeterStuyvesant), by Asher B. Durand

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Frederick Law Olmsted(1822 –1903): landscapearchitect of Central Park

George Templeton Strong(1820–1875): lawyer anddiarist

Walt Whitman (1819 –1892):journalist and poet, author ofLeaves of Grass (1855)

PLACES

Central Park: Manhattan’s873-acre park, constructedduring the mid-19th century

Five Points: a notorious,crime-ridden former neigh-borhood in lower Manhattan

Kleindeutschland: Little Ger-many, a New York neighbor-hood on the Lower East Sidesettled in the mid-1800s

Seneca Village: small African-American neighborhooddemolished in 1857 duringthe construction of CentralPark

RESOURCES

Books

Nonfiction

Angle, Paul M. and EarlSchenk Miers. The Living Lin-coln. New York: Barnes andNobles, 1992.

Barnum, P.T. Struggles andTriumphs. 1855. New York:Viking Penguin, 1987.

Bernstein, Iver. The New YorkCity Draft Riots. New York:Oxford University Press, 1990.

Burrows, Edwin G. and MikeWallace. Gotham: A History ofthe City to 1898. New York:Oxford University Press, 1999.

Diner, Hasia. Erin’s Daughtersin America. Baltimore: JohnsHopkins University Press,1983.

Stansell, Christine. City ofWomen: Sex and Class in NewYork. New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 1986.

Poetry

Whitman, Walt. Leaves ofGrass and Selected Prose. NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 1981.

Web Sites

Barnum Museumhttp://www.barnum-muse-um.org/

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whit-manhttp://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/whitman/

Abraham Lincoln’s CooperUnion Addresshttp://www.netins.net/showcase/creative/lincoln/speeches/cooper.htm

The Five Points Home Pagehttp://R2.gsa.gov/fivept/fphome.htm

Episode Three

Sunshine andShadow (1865–1898)Tuesday, November 16, 9–11 P.M.

SCENE LIST

1. Prologue: Sunshine andShadow 2. Introduction: Post-WarBoom, Railroads, andGrowth 3. The Bridge I: 1867–69 4. Tammany Hall and theTweed Ring 5. Al Smith 6. Interlude I: Panic of1873; J.P. Morgan; Edisonand District One 7. The Bridge II: 1882 Opening8. Interlude II: The Rich,Statue of Liberty, HenryGeorge Campaign9. Sidewalks of New York10. Jacob Riis and thePoor 11. Greater New York:Consolidation of 1898

VOCABULARY

capitalism: economic systemcharacterized by private orcorporate ownership of capi-tal goods, by private invest-ment, and by distribution ofgoods determined by compe-tition in a free market

graft: money or other rewardsgained illegally or dishonestly

minstrel show: a perform-ance in blackface of African-American-style songs andjokes

panic: sudden, widespreadfear in financial affairs result-ing in a depression

patronage: a politicallyadvantageous power tomake appointments togovernment jobs

political machine: a highlyorganized political groupunder the leadership of a boss

Tammany Hall: politicalorganization, also called theSociety of St. Tammany orColumbian Order, that helpedNew York’s immigrants butwas notorious for scandals

PEOPLE

Thomas Edison (1847–1931):inventor

J.P. Morgan (1837–1913):financier

Thomas Nast (1840–1902):cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly

Jacob Riis (1849 –1914):photographer, socialreformer, and writer

John Roebling (1806 –1869)and Washington Roebling(1837–1926): builders of theBrooklyn Bridge

Al Smith (1873 –1944):Tammany Hall Democrat,reformer, and governor ofNew York

William M. Tweed(1823 –1878): politician,nicknamed “Boss,” and leaderof Tammany Hall

PLACES

Brooklyn Bridge: steel sus-pension bridge across theEast River linking Manhattanand Brooklyn, completed in1883

Wall Street: financial centerand location of the New YorkStock Exchange

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RESOURCES

Books

Nonfiction

McCullough, David. The GreatBridge: The Epic Story of theBuilding of the BrooklynBridge. New York: Simon andSchuster, 1983.

Riis, Jacob. How the OtherHalf Lives, Ed. David Leviatin.Mineola, N.Y.: Dover, 1971.

Shirley, David. Thomas Nast:Cartoonist and Illustrator(Book Report BiographySeries). Danbury, Conn.:Watts, 1998.

Fiction

Carr, Caleb. The Alienist. NewYork: Random House, 1994.

Finney, Jack. Time and Again.New York: Simon and Schus-ter, 1995.

Wharton, Edith. The Age ofInnocence. New York: Bantam,1996.

Web Sites

Harpweek http://www.harpweek.com

The City of Greater New York:The Story of Consolidationhttp://www.mcny.org/consolidation.htm

The Gilded Pagehttp://www.wm.edu/~srnels/gilded.html

Cartoons of the Gilded Ageand Progressive Erahttp://www.history.ohio-state.edu/ projects/ uscartoons/GAPECartoons.htm

How the Other Half Lives: TheHypertext Editionhttp://www.cis.yale.edu/amstud/inforev/riis/title.html

Episode Four

The Power and thePeople (1898–1914)Wednesday, November 16,9–11 P.M.

SCENE LIST

1. Prologue: EmmaLazarus2. Introduction: Birth ofthe Movies3. The New Immigration:Ellis Island4. Skyscrapers5. Al Smith in Albany6. Immigrant Energy:The Lower East Side7. Building the City:Subways & Grand Centraland Penn Stations8. Hudson-FultonCelebration 19099. Progressive Reform:Public Health and Housing10. Women’s GarmentStrikes of 1909 & 191011. Triangle Fire andFactory Commission12. Epilogue: GovernorSmith

VOCABULARY

general strike: an organizedwork stoppage across a num-ber of industries to forceemployers to meet demands

greenhorn: a newly arrivedimmigrant to the U.S.

progressive movement:a widespread political effortto promote social improve-ment through governmentaction

skyscraper: an extremely tallbuilding

sweatshop: a small factory inwhich workers are employedfor long hours at low wagesin unsafe conditions

tenement: an apartmenthouse in the city that meetsminimum standards for safetyand comfort

Triangle Shirtwaist fire:March 25, 1911, factory firein which 146 women died

union: an organization ofworkers who have joinedtogether for a common pur-pose

PEOPLE

Emma Lazarus (1849 –1887):author of the poem “NewColossus” inscribed on thebase of the Statue of Liberty

Clara Lemlich Shavelson(1886 –1982): leader of strik-ing garment workers

Jacob Riis (1849 –1914): pho-tographer, social reformer,and writer

Al Smith (1873 –1944):Tammany Hall Democrat,reformer, and governor ofNew York

Lillian Wald (1867–1940):reformer and settlementworker, creator of visitingnurse service and the HenryStreet Settlement

PLACES

Ellis Island: island in NewYork Bay; the point of entryinto the U.S. for sixteen mil-lion immigrants betweenthe years 1892–1924

Flatiron Building: unusualskyscraper erected in 1902

Lower East Side: neighbor-hood of tenements in lowerManhattan known for its largepopulation of immigrants

Times Square: section ofmidtown Manhattan centeredat the intersection of SeventhAvenue and Broadway

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory:garment-manufacturing com-pany that was the site of theworst factory fire in New YorkCity’s history

RESOURCES

Books

Nonfiction

Binder, Frederick, and DavidM. Reimers. All the Nationsunder Heaven: An Ethnic andRacial History of New YorkCity. New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press, 1995.

Kotker, Norman and RobertTwombley, eds. Ellis Island:Echoes from a Nation’s Past.New York: Aperture Founda-tion, 1997.

Landau, Sarah Bradford andCarl W. Condit. Rise of theNew York Skyscraper, 1865–1913. New Haven, Conn.: YaleUniversity Press, 1995.

Perec, George and RobertBober. Ellis Island. Translatedby Harry Matthews. New York:New Press, 1995.

Fiction

Doctorow, E.L. Ragtime. NewYork: NAL-Dutton, 1997.

Web sites

Ellis Island http://www.ellisisland.org/

On the Lower East Side:Observations of Life in LowerManhattan at the Turn of theCenturyhttp://acad.smumn.edu/history/contents.html

From “Shepp’s New York CityIllustrated”http://acad.smumn.edu/ man-hattan/TOC.html

The Triangle ShirtwaistFactory Firehttp://www.ilr.cornell.edu/ tri-anglefire/cover.html



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PEOPLE

Louis Armstrong(1901–1971): jazz trumpeterand singer

Duke Ellington (1899 –1974):jazz composer, bandleader,and pianist

F. Scott Fitzgerald(1896 –1940): novelist andshort-story writer

George Gershwin(1898 –1937): composer

Langston Hughes(1902 –1967): poet and play-wright

Jimmy Walker (1881–1946):mayor of New York,1925–1932

PLACES

Broadway: a 17-mile streetextending from lower Man-hattan to the Bronx, usuallyassociated with theater andother entertainment, particu-larly around Times Square

Cotton Club: Harlem night-club opened in 1922 that fea-tured black performers butwas usually not open to blackaudiences

Empire State Building:world-famous skyscrapercompleted in 1931

Harlem: uptown Manhattanneighborhood known fromthe 1920s as a center of

African-American life andculture

midtown: the center of Man-hattan, between 34th and59th Streets, and the site ofthe Chrysler Building, theEmpire State Building, andRockefeller Center

Times Square: a section ofmidtown Manhattan knownfor entertainment, named forthe nearby New York Timesbuilding on 43rd Street

RESOURCES

Books

Nonfiction

Douglas, Susan. Listening in:Radio and the AmericanImagination, from Amos ‘N’Andy and Edward R. Murrowto Wolfman Jack and HowardStern. New York: Times Books,1997.

Giddins, Gary. Satchmo. NewYork: Doubleday, 1992.

Suriano, Gregory, ed. Gersh-win in His Time: A Biographi-cal Scrapbook, 1919–1937.New York: Random House,1998.

Tauranac, John. The EmpireState Building: The Making ofa Landmark. New York: St.Martin’s Press, 1997.

Taylor, William R., ed. Invent-ing Times Square: Commerceand Culture at the Crossroadsof the World. Reprint. Balti-

Episode Five

Cosmopolis(1914–1931)Thursday, November 17,9–11 P.M.

SCENE LIST

1. Prologue: City of Desire2. Introduction: Home-coming 19193. The Boom4. This Side of Paradise:F. Scott Fitzgerald 5. The Red Scare6. Mongrel Manhattan:Harlem, Jazz, andBroadway7. Sell Them TheirDreams: Midtown, Radio,and Advertising8. Celebrity 9. Ambivalence: NY vs.America10. Fitzgerald II11. Al Smith for President192812. Skyscraper War13. The Crash14. Empire State Building

VOCABULARY

Black Tuesday: October 29,1929, the date on whichthe stock market lost over$14 billion

isolationism: a national poli-cy of avoiding internationalpolitical or economic rela-tionships

Jazz Age: the 1920s boom incommerce and popular culture

speakeasy: a place where alco-holic drinks are sold illegally

speculation: taking onunusual risk in a businesstransaction with the hope ofgreat gains

suffragettes: women whoadvocate for a woman’s rightto vote

xenophobia: fear and hatredof foreigners or of anythingthat is foreign

more: Johns Hopkins Univer-sity Press, 1996.

Tucker, Mark, ed. The DukeEllington Reader. New York:Oxford University Press, 1993.

Watson, Steve. The HarlemRenaissance : Hub of African-American Culture, 1920–1930.New York: David McKay, 1996.

Essays

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The JazzAge. New York: New Direc-tions, 1996.

Fiction

Hurston, Zora Neale. TheirEyes Were Watching God. NewYork: HarperCollins, 1990.

Poetry

Hughes, Langston. The Col-lected Poems of LangstonHughes. Edited by ArnoldRampersad and DavidRoessel. New York: RandomHouse, 1995.

Web Sites

The Empire State Building -Official Internet Sitehttp://www.esbnyc.com/html/empire_state_building.html

The Jazz Age Pagehttp://www.btinternet.com/~dreklind/threetwo/Jazzhome.htm

Rhapsodies in Blackhttp://www.iniva.org/harlem/home.html

Jazz Roots: Early Jazz onJass.com http://jass.com/

GershwinFan.com —The George GershwinEducational Fanpage http://www.gershwinfan.com/home.html

Zora Neale Hurstonhttp://i.am/zora

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Episode Six

The City and theWorld (1931–2000)Airing in Spring, 2000

(The scene list for thisepisode was not available atpress time.)

VOCABULARY

adaptive re-use: renovatingold buildings and using themfor new purposes

Great Depression: period ofgreat economic hardshipbeginning with the stock mar-ket crash in 1929

New Deal: 1930s federal aidprograms created by FranklinRoosevelt’s administration inresponse to the Depression

parkways: landscaped, limit-ed-access highways, many ofwhich were built by RobertMoses

Title I: federal program forurban rebuilding, frequentlyused to destroy older build-ings

PEOPLE

Jane Jacobs (1916 – ): author

John Lindsay (1921– ): mayorof New York, 1965–1973

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.(1908 –1972): congressman,minister, and civil rightsleader

Nelson Rockefeller(1908 –1979): governor ofNew York, 1958–1973

PLACES

Jones Beach: public beach onLong Island, opened in 1929

Levittown: Long Island sub-urb featuring low-cost, pre-assembled housing

Triborough Bridge: three-bridge structure, opened in1936, linking Manhattan, theBronx, and Queens

RESOURCES

Books

Nonfiction

Caro, Robert. The Power Bro-ker: Robert Moses and the Fallof New York. New York: Ran-dom House, 1975.

Edelman, Bernard. Centenar-ians: The Story of the 20thCentury by the AmericansWho Lived It. New York:Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999.

Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. HarlemOn My Mind: Cultural Capitalof Black America, 1900–1968.New York: New Press, 1995.

Jacobs, Jane. The Death andLife of Great American Cities.New York: Random House,1993.

Lee, Joann F. Asian Americans:Oral Histories of the First toFourth Generation Americansfrom China, Korea, the Philip-pines, Japan, India, the PacificIslands, Vietnam, and Cambo-dia. New York: New Press,1992.

Olmos, Edward James, ed.Americanos: Latino Life in theUnited States. New York: LittleBrown, 1999.

Sklar, Morty and Joseph Bar-bato, eds. Patchwork ofDreams: Voices from the Heartof the New America. JacksonHeights, N.Y.: Spirit ThatMoves Us Press, 1996.

Fiction

Kluger, Steve. Last Days ofSummer. New York: AvonBooks, 1998.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher inthe Rye. New York: LittleBrown, 1991.

Web Sites

We Shall Overcome: HistoricalPlaces of the Civil RightsMovementhttp://cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/index.htm

New Deal Networkhttp://newdeal.feri.org/

Triborough Bridge (I-278)http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/triborough/

LIHistory.com: The Master Builder(Robert Moses)http://www.lihistory.com/7/hs722a.htm

A Close-Up View, Warts andAll, of an Arrogant, EndearingMan (Robert Moses)http://www.lihistory.com/7/hs722b.htm

General InterestResourcesBOOKS

Als, Hilton, ed. Our Town:Images and Stories from theMuseum of the City of NewYork. New York: Harry N.Abrams, 1997.

Homberger, Eric. The Histor-ical Atlas of New York City:A Visual Celebration of Nearly400 Years of New York History.Reprint. New York: HenryHolt, 1998.

Katz, William Loren. BlackLegacy: A History of New York’sAfrican Americans. New York:Atheneum, 1997.

WEB SITES

The New-York HistoricalSocietyhttp://www.nyhistory.org

The Museum of the City ofNew Yorkhttp://www.mcny.org

Schomburg Center forResearch in Black Culturehttp://www.nypl.org/research/sc

NYC 100 — America Begins inNew Yorkhttp://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/nyc100/home2.html

NEW YORK: A DOCU-MENTARY FILM Onlinehttp://www.thirteen.org/newyork/



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