Synopsis

"Order and Disorder: 1825-1865" chronicles a time of remarkable expansion and social upheaval. The majority of the influx of new populations were Irish immigrants—a hundred thousand by 1842, a figure predating even the devastating potato famine. This rapid growth fostered overcrowding, prompting the creation of Central Park between 1857 and 1858. Yet, the underlying tensions remained, erupting in 1863 with racially charged draft riots. As historian Mike Wallace observes, "It was the largest inci