Themes in American History

One similarity about New York and New Orleans that existed between 1800 and 1865 was the conflict between new immigrants and native-born residents together with the foreign-born expansion in the population. As a result, “by the 1850’s, more than half the residents of Boston and New York City were foreign born.” (Chudacoff 74) According to Chudacoff these new comers where Europeans:  “Major populations of Irish immigrants could be identified in New York, Boston and Philadelphia…”(74) This new group of immigrants added their culture and customs in these cities. Chudacoff states these new immigrants “brought their cultural traditions of work and leisure, spirituality and sociability, which often came into conflict with those of native-born residents.”(74)  One example of these traditions was their drinking and the Catholic religion. Similarly, in New Orleans  “by 1860, 40 percent of New Orleans population was foreign born.” (Chudacoff 74) The immigrants in New Orleans, French and Spanish brought with them their traditions of carnival, “…with maskers, Harlequins, and Punchinchellos parading the streets with guitars, violins and other instruments in the days before lent.”(Chudacoff 74) As a result, this caused the hatred of the native-born residents. According to Chudacoff: “By the 1830s and 1840’s, New Orleans revelers were throwing flour and pieces of brick as well as candies and cake and apples and oranges to people along the parade route..”  Referring Mardi Gras as a “vulgar and tasteless” celebration (74) To the contrary, one difference between these cities was that New York was a Protestant city while New Orleans was Catholic. “An early wave of Irish immigrants, fleeing British persecution at the end of the 1700s, landed in New Orleans and became well integrated into the economy and social life of the city. The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration was held in 1809. Irish social and benevolent organizations were formed, and Irish theater thrived.  (neworleansonline).  On the other hand, New York didn’t see the Irish population in that way:  “native –born enthusiasm for temperance translated into passionate anti-Catholicism, sharply splitting the working classes along ethnic lines and turning neighborhoods into battlegrounds.” (Chudacoff 75)

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In the 1800s, the cities located nearby river and ocean were growing rapidly. Cincinnati in Ohio state and New York City were also the cities that were growing economically at the time period. Because of the Ohio River, there were lots of business opportunities for the residents such as hotels and shops in Cincinnati (Chudacoff, 5th ed., pg. 65). New York City had grown as one of the bigest port in the United States by trading with other countries. The similarities between these cities were that the cities were labeled as “the walking city” because of its size and major mode of conveyance; the cities rarely extended beyond two miles from the city center (Chudacoff, 5th ed., pg.66). The population of the two cities grew fast also, however there was difference between them. The Irish started to immigrate in New York mainly, however, in Cincinnati, the main immigrants at the time period was the German (Ohio History Central, http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=681).

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