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NEW YORK, New York in the 1830s: 1 through 3 of 3

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  1. Lower Working Class Life of New York City
    date 1830map NEW YORK, New Yorktags Immigration, Health, Labor, New York

    During the 19th century New York City was a populous municipality, with over 220,000 inhabitants by the 1830s. It was diverse, consisting of both prosperous and impoverished areas. Many buildings were beautifully created with an artistic impression, while others were insignificant and deplorable.  Prince Maximilian of Wied’s chronicled his travels in New York during this time and described the contrast...

  2. Charles Knowlton and The Fruits of Philosophy
    date 1832map NEW YORK, New Yorktags sex, contraception, Health/Death

    Charles Knowlton was one nineteenth century doctor who was not afraid to talk about sex. Despite prosecution and jail time he stood behind the ideas of his 1832 work Fruits of Philosophy. The book was deemed obscene for its discussion of sex for pleasure and birth control methods. Knowlton saw sexual desire as a passion that started in the nerves of the genital organs and extended to the brain. He...

  3. Fire Destroys Wall Street
    date December 16, 1835 to December 17, 1835map NEW YORK, New Yorktags Urban Society, Urban-Life/Boosterism, Health/Death

    In the evening hours of Wednesday, December 16, 1835, smoke billowed above the downtown Manhattan skyline. At the time, no one knew exactly where the sparks had ignited and the fire begun, but by Thursday afternoon, the flames had engulfed approximately seventeen square blocks on and surrounding Wall Street. An article in the magazine The Albion indicated that by Thursday evening between 700 and 1000...