The Real History of Five Points & 19th Century New York
How accurate was Martin Scorsese in his depiction of Five Points for his major movie Gangs of New York?
Tyler Anbinder, consulted on the film and tells us what's true... what's movie magic... and why (1:01.30). He spoke at St. Francis College on February 27, 2018 as part of the Spring 2018 Senior Citizen Lecture Series, "From New Nation to World Power: Culture, Politics, and Society in the United States, 1789-1896."
(Learn about Five Points & 19th Century New York)
Anbinder is Professor of History at George Washington University. He has written extensively on the history of New York City, including Five Points: The 19th Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum; Nativism and Slavery: The Northern Know-Nothings and the Politics of the 1850s; and City of Dreams: The 400 Year Epic History of Immigrant New York. Five Points was named a Notable Book by the New York Times (2001) and one of "Twenty-Five Books to Remember" by the New York Public Library (2001).
Speakers for the series, From New Nation to World Power, are programmed by History Professor Sara Rzeszutek.