About 10 years ago, Peter Adams came across a copy of “The Gangs of New York” in a used bookstore. After reading the book, he thought, “There’s a lot more to this story than just that.”
And with that, he started researching the topic further, in particular the role of The Bowery Boys and “the politics of rebellion.” He spent six years researching and writing; the book was released by Praeger Publishers this past April.
Adams thinks that the movie based on the book with the same title captured the color of the period, but had historical inaccuracies. Bill "the Butcher" Poole is portrayed as being very sadistic, but Adams said, “He was one of the most beloved men in the city. During the Depression of 1855, he delivered coal and food to the poor.”
He mentions Poole, but delves more deeply into the role of Mike Walsh, the leader of the Bowery Boys during the 1840s and '50s.
What particularly interested Adams was how important this political faction was, and said, “What I wanted to do was show that socialist thought was not alien to American society. It took root here and had a uniquely American character.”
He talks about how Walsh and others talked about conquering the Western frontier, moving the workers who were crammed in New York City out west. There, they would have planned communities and share the wealth. This group also believed that the government had a moral duty to correct social injustices.
There were many injustices to be corrected during that era. The conditions that the immigrants lived in were unimaginable. The mortality rate was incredibly high; the ones who did survive became strong and hardened. The miserable living conditions of New York City's lower east side nurtured the gangs of New York.
ADAMS TELLS THE STORY of the Bowery Boys, one gang that emerged as part urban legend and part street fighters for the city's legions of young workers. He believes “poverty and despair led to a gang culture that was easily politicized, especially under the leadership of Mike Walsh who led a distinct faction of the Bowery Boys that engaged in the violent, almost anarchic, politics of the city during the 1840s and 1850s.”
An event that further fueled that fear was the anti-British Astor Theater riot of 1849. Because the gangs had become organized and were well armed, they were a faction to be reckoned with.
Adams writes, “It was the anti-British Astor Theater riot of 1849 that crystallized the dangers inherent in a city of politicized gangs and fire brigades. Hearing Mike Walsh compare the National Guard to the repressive army of the Russian Czar, New York’s ‘respectable classes’ could only wonder if the Astor Theater riot was a sign that the European revolutions of 1848 were sweeping across the Atlantic.”
Twenty-three people were shot that day by the National Guard — the first time that the military killed Americans.
“The fear that The Bowery Boy type, allied with the social radicals, posed real threat to the powers-to-be,” said Adams, who credits Fernando Wood with bringing New York City under control.
Wood was elected mayor of New York in 1854, and Adams feels that was then that the city started to become politically mature. Wood consolidated the mayoralty powers and ended the factionalism. He also professionalized the fire department, which eliminated the errant powers of the former volunteer fire brigade. After the Civil War, there were huge political changes as well.
WHILE THIS IS Peter Adams’ first published book, he is no novice to writing. A former journalist, his work has appeared in newspapers for the Gannett chain, including USA Today, as well as in publications that specialize in national security issues. He currently works in the defense industry and lives in Marlan Forest with his wife, Maureen, and children, Genevieve and Elliot.
Because “The Bowery Boys” is an academic treatment of the subject, and regionalized, Adams said that it has been selling mostly to universities, libraries and New York book stores. He is hoping that there are converted New Yorkers in the area and others who might be interested in the topic.
As far as future publications, Adams said that he has been systematically going through academic journals and sees historical issues that have long been forgotten.
“Something might come out of that,” he said.