"Consciously pursuing the pioneer path blazed by Oscar Handlin in Boston's Immigrants, 1790-1865, Robert Ernst has performed an equally ambitious and impressive feat in his distinguished historical study of acculturation in New York City. Ernst has succeeded admirably and with great imagination in amassing an impressive amount of pertinent data. . . . The virtues or intrinsic interest, scholarly exposition and concise organization make this volume rewarding reading."—The American Journal of Sociology
"Illuminates one of the most dramatic episodes in our history. Robert Ernst's theme is the process of 'Americanization' of which many of us today are a product. . . . He is especially interesting in describing the formation of 'foreign' enclaves within the city; the complex effects produced by church, school, foreign-language press and libraries; the methods by which the Democratic Party enlisted the immigrant vote. A talent for selection of relevant detail, and for lively characterization of many forgotten but significant personalities, distinguishes Ernst
among research scholars."—The New Republic
Description
This is a historical study of acculturation in New York City during the great wave of immigration that reshaped the city between the opening of the Erie Canal and the Civil War. Rather than focusing on a single ethnic group, Ernst reconstructs the entire ecosystem of immigrant life—their neighborhoods, institutions, politics, work, and daily struggles—showing how foreign-born New Yorkers became a defining force in the city’s identity.The book weaves together demographic data, archival sources, and firsthand accounts to create a rich, detailed portrait of a city in the midst of rapid transformation.
About the Author
Robert Ernst is professor of history emeritus at Adelphi University. He is the author of Rufus King, American Federalist, and Weakness ls a Crime: The Life of Bernarr Macfadden. He received the Kerr Prize from the New York State Historical Association for Immigrant Life in New York City.
October 1994