Historians highlight the strong links among Nativism, white supremacy, and anti-abolitionism found in the 1834 Anti-Abolition Riots. The Five Points neighborhood was home to Irish Catholics who escaped the Great Famine. They experienced harsh poverty in the company of free Black people. To protect themselves, they formed major street gangs such as the Dead Rabbits, the Forty Thieves, and the Roach. Loyal to their Irish background, they acted as muscle for Tammany Hall’s Democ

When cholera struck New York, many wealthy residents fled, as did some private physicians. The growing number of patients overwhelmed the Bellevue Almshouse. In response, city officials converted schools and other structures into emergency cholera hospitals.

The British and the Patriots blamed each other for the fire, but there is no definitive proof showing who started it. Although not the worst New York disaster, it occurred at a pivotal moment in the American Revolution when Britain had just imposed martial law.

In 1711, New York City had 6,000 to 8,000 residents, with about 1,000 enslaved individuals. Their separate ownership allowed the enslaved frequent contact with each other. Enslaved workers would roam the city looking for work, allowing them to fraternize. More African compatriots arrived by the transatlantic slave route daily. This made whites nervous.