New York: A Documentary Film — Season 1, Episode 2: Order and Disorder (1825–1865)

Episode synopsis

Already established as America's premier port, New York City swelled into the nation's greatest industrial metropolis as a massive wave of German and Irish immigration turned the city into one of the world's most complex urban environments, bringing with it a host of new social problems. Episode Two reveals how the city's artists, innovators and leaders, from poet Walt Whitman to Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (the designers of Central Park) grappled with the city's growing conflicts -- which culminated in the catastrophic Civil War Draft Riots of 1863.

About New York: A Documentary Film

This eight-part, 16½-hour television event explores New York City's rich history as the premier laboratory of modern life. A sweeping narrative covering nearly 400 years and 400 square miles, it reveals a complex and dynamic city that has played an unparalleled role in shaping the nation and reflecting its ideals.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1The Country and the City (1609–1825)
• E3Sunshine and Shadow (1865–1898)
• E4The Power and the People (1898–1918)
• E5Cosmopolis (1919–1931)
• E6City of Tomorrow (1929–1941)
• E7The City and the World (1945–2000)
• E8The Center of the World (1946–2003)
• E9The Future of Cities (2003–2025), Part 1
• E10The Future of Cities (2003–2025), Part 2