Themes in American History

      It was my second visit to the Museum of City of New York where i found that an artifacts and things were totally being replaced in compare to my first visit in 2009.While going to the museum i saw the immigrants people who were sharing their shelter and culture with each other living in a similar environment which displayed and made me realize the consequences of all those historic wars and movements that an immigrants like Irish and African Americans people stood and fought for their moral rights; the rights for an equality. It was the perfect day for my visit to the museum; as the things went well without any disturbance and conflicts.

Though the museum was not big, it was very well displayed and organized either in terms of portraying anyone’s background or showing the historic evidence or culture that has been followed by today’s world. Since i read and had some knowledge about the power of Dutch and British leader during 1600s, i didn’t find hard on understanding the words and the video called, “Timespace” that showed the evolution of the city and its gradual development until now.

The most interesting exhibits  i enjoyed in the museum was in the area titled, ” New York Interiors 1690-1906)” where things were presented and arranged reflecting the changes over time in styles, production and wealth growth from the colonial era through the dawn of 20^th century. The gallery mainly highlighted the furniture and decorative arts made in New York City. It showed the evolution of New York interior design that initiated through the Dutch furniture influence found in early colonial period.

Despite the fact that an architectural features used in this area doesn’t contain an actual interiors, it highly constituted historic incorporating materials, color schemes used in the rooms like ones used to display during those periods. The museum also highlighted on the roles of two immigrants named Duncan Phyfe (1768-1854), born in Scotland, and Charles- Honore Lannuier ( 1779-1819), born in France who played a key role on shaping the city’s character during the early 19^th century by bringing the distinctive European- based classical styles to New York. It shows that most of an American styles, Interior designs are originated through a European ideas which we can still see in today’s world.

After exploring the interior styles of both British and Americans, I stepped down to the cafeteria in order to get some snacks and drinks. But as I was walking I saw an exhibition of small cars, horses, ships, that looked like a toys and which attracted my attention to know what it was all about . As I was looking at the exhibits, the information about the fire trucks reminded me of the movie “Gangs of New York”, which relates to late 19^th century. Due to the advanced change in technology various changes occurred in the city in terms of rules and regulations. In New York City the volunteer firefighters were replaced by a paid municipal fire department where horses were used to pull the fire engines in 1865. As early fire trucks used to carry everything necessary to fight a fire, including hoses, hooks, and ladders; by the late 19^th century, separate hose carriages and hook-and-ladder trucks accompanied the fire wagon to the fire.

 So in overall visit and exploration, I learned about the cause of making the New York City and how and what aspects changed the New York City gradually in terms of art, culture, politics, technologies, and economy of the nation.

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One of the major difference between NYC and the rest of the cities in America has always been the population, but this difference expanded in the 1900s. All throughout American History, NYC has been the land of opportunity for the “hard workers” as well as the “dreamers” – but none more so during the 1900s. In the 1920s, musicians and artists from all over the country came to NYC, to try and be successful. With the radio reaching into every American’s house, NYC was the right place to be. America was introduced to the jazz and the blues. NYC was already home to Broadway theater, but it was only in the early 1900s, that the rest of America started taking notice of it.

Music was only one reason a lot of people were driven to NYC.  Industrialization, the growth in Transportation, and the opportunities available due to the New York Stock Exchange are some of the other reasons, that a lot of people were attracted to NYC. According to the census, the population in NYC grew by more than 2 million from 1900 to 1920, and by almost 2 million from 1920 to 1940, while the second most populous city at that time – Chicago, grew by a little over 1 million from 1900 to 1920 and by merely 700,000 from 1920 to 1940. Immigration is another big reason why NYC has always had a higher population growth than the other countries. During this period, millions of immigrants entered the city from Ellis Islands, although most of them did not live in NYC.

P.S: This video was shot in July 1903 by Edison Studios

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found via Google Images Search.

At the start of the twentieth century there were great innovation in transportation that changed the way in which people lived across the US. This was especially clear in major cities like New York City and Boston. Both cities were able to adapt the latest changes in transportation very quickly, which allowed each city to grow its population and size.

In New York new bridges and automobiles allowed people from outside of Manhattan to commute to the city very easily. While in Boston, there were 6 neighboring communities to Boston that were combined to make Greater Boston. In New York City many people enjoyed taking trains and other various forms of public transportation from the outer boroughs into the city. While in Boston people preferred to drive. In both cases many new houses were built as developers scrambled to meet demand. Many of these houses are still in existence today and can be seen all over the outer city areas.
Today, these changes have had profound effects on each city and have allowed them both to thrive and prosper.

NYC's 5 Boroughs

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Similarity:  1. The success of transportantion in NYC and Philadephia made other imitators to follow: For the transportation,  the first turnpike–Philadelphia-Lancaster Turnpike was built by private stock companies and financed by private investments and toll revenues, opened in 1794 between Lancaster and Philadelphia. Due to successof the turnpike, it caused many imitators to follow. In New York alone, privately operated turnpike companies had completed 4,000 miles of toll roads by 1820. (Chudacoff p.36). Similarly, Eirc Canal was under construction from 1817 to 1825 and officially opened on October 26, 1825.  It proved an enormous success upon its completion in 1825. Shipping costs from Lake Erie to New York dropped by more than  90%. The success of Erie Canal  spawned may imitators to follow as well as the turnpike. Two thousand miles of canals were built during the 1830s, include a ridiculously expensive Main Line from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

2. In New York, the upper 4 percent owned 49 percentof the wealth in 1828 and 66 percent in 1845. SImilar concentrations of wealth could be found in Philadephia. (Chudacoff p.44).

3.  The proportion of  African Americans diminished in NYC and Philadelphia: African Americans had contributed over 10 percent of the population in New York City in 1810; by 1860, they represented only 1.5 percent of all New Yorker. In Philadelphia, more than 12 percent of the population was black in 1830; by 1860, that proportion had dropped to less than 4 percent.  (Chudacoff p.66)

Differnence: Under pressures reulting from the yellow fever epidemics, Philadelphia constructed the country’s first major PUBLIC waterworks. while other cities included NYC which purchased water from PRIVATE companies. and the quality of the water system was low because few private corporations were willing to commit huge amounts of captial to the construction and mainltenance of an elaborate water system.

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Chicago, one of America’s greatest cities, saw a drastic change during post civil war era. One of the reasons for this major change was both geographical and economical. Since the war ended and the South had lost the war, many business entrepreneurs and investors saw a great deal of potential in Midwestern cities like St. Louis and Chicago. According to Chudacoff, “Chicago grew with the aid of railroads, and as a web of tracks extended in all directions towards Chicago, the trains began cutting into St Louis’s commercial hinterland (Pg 81).” Chicago certainly had an advantage that was crucial for transportation of trade through an east-west route making it more accessible and convenient for farmers to ship grain and livestock to New York. Chicago also grew in population in 1840, becoming the ninth most populous city in America.  The greatest change that occurred in comparison to New York however, was the construction of railroads that had entered into the city through thirty different lines. Having a reliable source of transportation allows the city to quickly and thoroughly move people and goods from one place to another. The city was able to flourish with the railroads but as well with the geographical spread of the city as well. The city was harboring by the Great lakes and with the State of Illinois pinpointing on the canals, Chicago emerged as the City by the Lake. New York was now able to reach Chicago by both land and water. Both cities emerged as the major cities of modern day with many cultural and economical factors that are driving the force of America today.

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During the period of 1800 and 1865, the Erie Canal was built because of the in need of the trading in west coast. That was the first transportation system between New York City and the west coast. It made transportation much easier at that time. As the result, the Central Pacific Railroad Company was established in San Francisco in 1863 and they would like to construct the Pacific Railroad from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Oakland, California to increase trading. These two projects both faced one problem: the lack of labors. In the case of New York City, as the increase of the immigrants, more and more immigrants were hired to do the work. Almost the same as the case of San Francisco, however, the company hired labors from China. In both cases, many workers died during the construction because of the harsh and dangerous working condition. At last, the Erie Canal was not supported by the federal government. President Jefferson rejected the project and called this “a little short of madness”, but the New York governor, Dewitt Clinton, supported this idea. The Pacific Railroad was supported and funded by the Congress.

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