Sources for America’s History: Printed Page 232

9-4  |Contrasting Images of Urban Life
Frontispiece from Sunshine and Shadow in New York (1868)

The economic transformation of the early nineteenth century left a complex legacy as is suggested by this image, which appeared on the title page of Matthew Hale Smith’s midcentury book, Sunshine and Shadow in New York. Smith’s book profiled the city’s famous residents and described its distinct cultures. He emphasized the contrasts New York presented: Broadway and Five Points, Wall Street and the Bowery, swindlers and the clergy. It was a city of extremes, shaped by the rapidly expanding market, immigration, and urbanization.

image
Source: Matthew Hale Smith, Sunshine and Shadow in New York (Hartford, CT: J. B. Burr and Company, 1868).

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Question

    Describe the contrasts Smith sees in New York City. What details are highlighted in these contrasting images of the city?

  2. Question

    To what extent do you think Smith is suggesting these contrasts are a product of the economic transformations of the first half of the nineteenth century?

  3. Question

    Why might these contrasts be more evident in urban areas? In other words, how did the economic transformations impact cities?