Recently in APUSH we watched the Gangs of New York. Did you know that a lot of the things that happen in that movie really did happen? Well, they did. Here are some examples...
The five points of New York really did exist. It was known as the sixth district or the slums. It was the place where the very poor and immigrants fresh off the boats went to live.
The Battle of the Five Points was also something that actually happened. The movie really captured this event nicely...or not so nicely depending on how you deal with gore. The battle was between the Irish immigrants living in the slums and the "natives" of New York. They fought over territory, respect, and the right to be there. They may seem like the same thing. However, they meant different things to the people. The Irish were looked down on. They were in the same class of African Americans at the time, according to many of the people of New York. The Irish and African Americans also had very strained relationships, which is evident in the movie also.
The Irish were the biggest "new immigrants" to come to America. They came in huge quantities and flooded into New York city. They were welcomed by the political machines but scorned by many others who were in America before they started to come. Many stayed in New York but lived in the worst parts of town.
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