<![CDATA[The Shakespeare Riots: Revenge, Drama, and Death in Nineteenth-Century America]]>

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One of the bloodiest incidents in New York’s history, the so-called Astor Place Riot of May 10, 1849, was ignited by a long-simmering grudge match between the two leading Shakespearean actors of the age. Despite its unlikely origins, though, there was nothing remotely quaint about this pivotal moment in history–the unprecedented shooting by American soldiers of dozens of their fellow citizens, leading directly to the arming of American police forces. The Shakespeare Riots recounts the story of this momentous night, its two larger-than-life protagonists, and the myriad political and cultural currents that fueled the violence. In an engrossing narrative that moves at a breakneck pace from the American frontier to the Mississippi River, to the posh theaters of London, to the hangouts of the most notorious street gangs of the day, Nigel Cliff weaves a spellbinding saga of soaring passions, huge egos, and venal corruption. Cliff charts the course of this tragedy from its beginnings as a somewhat comical contretemps between Englishman William Charles Macready, the haughty lion of the London stage, and Edwin Forrest, the first great American star and a popular hero to millions. Equally celebrated, and equally self-centered, the two were once friends, then adversaries. Exploiting this rivalry, “nativist” agitators organized mobs of bullyboys to flex their muscle by striking a blow against the foppish Macready and the Old World’s cultural hegemony that he represented. The moment Macready took the stage in New York, his adversaries sprang into action, first by throwing insults, then rotten eggs, then chairs. When he dared show his face again, an estimated twenty thousand packed the streets around the theater. As cobblestones from outside rained down on the audience, National Guard troops were called in to quell the riot. Finding themselves outmatched, the Guardsmen discharged their weapons at the crowd, with horrific results. When the smoke cleared, as many as thirty people lay dead, with scores more wounded. The Shakespeare Riots is social and cultural history of the highest order. In this wondrous saga Nigel Cliff immerses readers in the bustle of mid-nineteenth-century New York, re-creating the celebrity demimonde of the day and capturing all the high drama of a violent night that robbed a nation of its innocence.

417475

2007

The Shakespeare Riots: Revenge, Drama, and Death in Nineteenth-Century America

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There was a discussion of this book with the author one morning, and the idea caught me. With passions still running high after our break from British rule in the late 1700's, two friendly (and illustrious) Shakespearean actors put their friendship aside...more...]]> 0 0 false false Mon Jun 22 16:09:37 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 22 16:09:48 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Wed Aug 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 16 20:28:51 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 20 20:57:39 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Tue Jun 02 15:29:32 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 12:00:49 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 02 15:29:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Aug 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 21 20:42:32 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 20 18:34:26 -0700 2008
Five Points, by Tyler Anbinder;
The Gangs of New York, by Herbert Asbury; and
The Five Points, by Rocco Do...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Nov 16 12:47:52 -0800 2007 Fri Nov 16 12:49:42 -0800 2007 0 0 false false Thu Dec 06 19:23:51 -0800 2007 Thu Dec 06 19:28:59 -0800 2007 in my LiveJournal (with link to the article).]]> 3 0 false false Mon Mar 17 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Nov 03 16:20:35 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 03 16:21:36 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Tue Jul 22 13:35:47 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 27 20:05:25 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Tue Sep 01 18:00:47 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 01 18:00:47 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Aug 28 09:40:44 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 28 09:40:44 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 06 17:24:26 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 17:24:43 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Apr 27 18:22:29 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 18:22:29 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Apr 26 22:20:41 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 26 22:20:53 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Apr 26 21:25:08 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 26 21:25:08 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Apr 26 17:42:28 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 07:01:59 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Apr 09 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 29 15:22:57 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 25 17:34:29 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Feb 20 10:57:03 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 20 10:57:03 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Feb 09 06:01:12 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 09 06:01:12 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jan 22 13:51:29 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 17 10:16:41 -0800 2009