"Being American in the 1850s: The Bowery Boys"

A detailed Summary of "Being American in the 1850s: The Bowery Boys"

In the mid 19th century, New York City saw the first of several immigration waves. Immigrants from various parts of Europe flooded the "New World" in hopes of better wages and living conditions for themselves and their families than those that existed in their native countries. During these immigration waves, the meaning of "being American" was redefined by these immigrants, who struggled with creating an identity that best combined their native beliefs as well as those that were truly American. One gang that arose during the mid 19th century in New York was the Bowery Boys, a gang of "American" men who strove to maintain American ideals and flush the city of "foreigners". The Bowery Boys, as evidenced in Elliot Gorn's "Good Bye Boys, I Die a True American", were sometimes heralded by the media as a group that personified the glory and patriotism of America; in contrast, in Joel Rose's collection of cartoons entitled "The Bowery Boys and Dead Rabbits", the Bowery Boys are seen as a group of ruffians portrayed in other media sources as heroes, when in fact they are the root of the many problems of political turmoil, rage, and destruction that plagued the city during this time period.

In Gorn's "Good Bye Boys, I Die a True America

In looking back at Poole's life, Gorn also tends to glorify his actions in an attempt to demonstrate how Poole and his Bowery Boys strove to maintain "American ideals" intact during a time period where many immigrants posed a threat to these ideals. Gorn notes how Poole shared his prosperity with those that were less fortunate (392), as well as wrote patriotic poetry (392). Gorn also notes how Poole was "marked for his death because of his outspoken patriotism, his support of the Know-Nothing Party, and his effectiveness as an organizer of other "shoulder hitters", political musclemen who opposed Tammany Hall's election thugs" (395). Poole is portrayed as a larger then life American who met his end because of rising racial tensions, and noted in his concluding paragraph that "his demise offered crystal proof of the nation's peril" (410).

n", Gorn analyzes the circumstances of the death of Butcher Bill Poole, a major figure in the Bowery Boys. Throughout the article, Gorn glorifies the actions and personality of Poole, depicting him as the typical American who worked hard, respected those around him, and enjoyed the pleasures of life that being an American afforded him. In Gorn's introductory anecdote of Poole's murder, Poole is seen as polite; he offers Morrissey and his friends, apparently sworn mortal enemies of Poole, a drink, and is insulted by their rebuff (Gorn 389). Gorn also notes Poole's financial wealth and extreme strength and pride, as he "took one hundred dollars in go

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Approximate Word count = 1006
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History