ABSTRACT

The Restless City: A Short History of New York from Colonial Times to the Present is a brief, insightful and lively history of the peoples, events and interactions that have formed New York City. Weaving together the shifting currents of economic, political, social, and cultural life, Joanne Reitano shows how New York has acted both as an indicator and a driver of the American experience in its negotiation of evolving urban challenges.

The third edition of The Restless City has been updated to include new material on early settler/Native American interactions, and to be more fully inclusive of the outer boroughs of New York. Each chapter features at least two primary sources accompanied by discussion questions for students. Authoritative and comprehensive, The Restless City remains a superior resource for students and scholars interested in the rich history of the nation’s premier urban center.

chapter 1|5 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|29 pages

City of the Whirlpool, 1609–1799

chapter 3|28 pages

Gotham

The Paradoxical City, 1800–1840

chapter 4|29 pages

The Proud and Passionate City, 1840–1865

chapter 5|30 pages

The Empire City

Questioning the Gilded Age, 1865–1899

chapter 6|30 pages

The City of Ambition

Progressivism on Trial, 1900–1919

chapter 7|30 pages

The Big Apple

Pursuing the Dream, 1920–1945

chapter 8|28 pages

World City

Redefining Gotham, 1945–1973

chapter 9|34 pages

The Threatened City

Leadership under Fire, 1973–2000

chapter 10|37 pages

The Restless City, 2001–2015