The rise of Industrial New York came about in the late nineteenth century. In the video, Filthy Cities: Industrial New York, BBC and show host, Dan Snow, attempt to travel back in time to the Industrial period of American history. This film depicts the rise of New York as an industrial city, including all of the effects the industrialization had on the social classes of America. Manhattan was a city on the rise, with a dramatic increase in population. During the Industrialization of New York, the population grew about one thousand times larger, large in part due to the European immigrants. Immigrants left their homelands in pursuit of the American dream. Along with the increase of population, came the increase of disease. New York struggled with the hygiene of their streets and the quality of life was different based on the social status of each individual. The gap between the rich and the poor widened, similar to that of the boundaries of the city. The wealthy were corrupted and money driven, while the poor were vulnerable and helpless. The coming of the new technology overshadowed the negative effects the technology had on the environment around New York. Some of the technology that came about during the time period included a fresh water supply system, plumbing, toilet paper, improvements to the lightbulb, alternating current, activated sludge, automobiles, hoover vacuums, refrigerators, and leaded petrol. These inventions had a positive short-term effect to the lifestyles of few, while the long-term effects these resources had on the environment and the distribution of these resources caused issues for all. Industrial New York was gilded together by the success of the technology for the time period, but the underlying downfall was the corrupt wealthy class and their greed against the poor.
The wealthy business owners and landlords in industrial New York had total control and power over the working-class people. The wealthy lived a lifestyle of elegance and prestige. They used their money to expand the walls of the city by building up suburbs on the outer parts of Manhattan. The prosperous business men had all the resources they needed to afford the new technology that was increasing the status of the world around them. The foundation of the political aspects of the city was filled with corruption and the government officials accepted bribes in order to keep the elite above everyone else. An example of the fraud that occurred during the industrialization of New York, is the New York County Court House. According to the video, the New York Court House was “a symbol of filthy corruption.” The court house was run by a man named, William Boss Tweed. Tweed had control of the Tammany Hall political machine and stole millions of dollars from the city. The original use of the Court House was to tax the people in order to obtain funds for basic services, but the wealthy used their power to embezzle cash in secret. The embezzlement of the cash led to the improper amount of funds to complete services to keep the city clean. Taxing the people is essential in order to fund the proper services a city would need to stay hygienic. This concept is still used today in modern society when metropolitan areas are expanded. The difference between the two instances would be the need to have people in power who care for the well-being of everyone, not just the power-driven wealthy. Corruption and greed are still present today, but the successful corporations and cities are run by educated leaders that sacrifice their own gains for the improvement of others. A city, business, or any type of administration are led by their leaders and served by their working class in unity for one common goal.
During the industrialization of New York, however, the disparity between the wealthy and poor was evident, as the corrupt wealthy overpowered the lives of the poor. The working class and the European immigrants lived strenuous lives due to the living conditions. The landlords took advantage of the financial status of the immigrants and placed them in dumb bell tenements, packed with multiple families. The immigrants came from all over Europe bringing different diseases and cultures. The inability for the poor to afford proper living conditions caused the spread of those diseases and the terrible hygiene that the slums were known for. Sewage, plumbing, and fresh running water were some of the resources that were unavailable to these neighborhoods, as the landlords refused to pay for proper expenses. Landlords were typically wealthy and felt no need to help the lives of their paid residents. The greed of the wealthy caused them to overlook the struggle that the workers around them were faced with. The slums of Manhattan were filled with trash, bodily fluids, animal feces, and disease. The three main diseases that were spread during this time were Cholera, Typhus, and typhoid. The overcrowding of the poor in the slums caused the diseases to spread quickly. The outburst of diseases brought attention to few of the upper class, however, Stephen Smith wanted to get involved with the improvement of life for all. Smith was a doctor that tended to many of the poor in the inner city. Smith was shocked by the tenement living conditions and attempted to get the conditions improved, however, the landlords and county court house declined to improve the situation. The life the immigrants and working class had to live was gruesome and filled with struggle. The harsh conditions in this time period led to many of the regulations and services that are embodied in the present-day lifestyle. These regulations that are present today, ensure that the people of this generation will not suffer from the same corruption during the Industrial rise of New York.
Industrial New York was gilded together by the success of the technology for the time period, but the underlying downfall was the corrupt wealthy class and their greed against the poor. The industrialization had a profound effect on increasing the gap between social classes in America. Many new resources were discovered as the metropolitan city grew, but the availability of these resources was determined based upon the wealth of an individual. The decisions made by the wealthy of Manhattan led to many deaths for people during the rise of a powerful metropolitan city. Dan Snow the host of the film, Filthy Cities: Industrial New York states,
“We Humans fight a never-ending battle against our own waste, modern cities are winning that battle, but this is a reminder that filth can overwhelm us and ultimately destroy us.” (Dan Snow, BBC)
while searching through an unclean tenement building from the late nineteenth century. This remark keys in on the result for many during Industrial New York. The waste and filth symbolize more than just waste products and dirt, but also the filthy corruption that occurred nationwide.