Federal Hall

Federal Hall

• Built in 1700→ New York’s city hall
• was then the first Capitol Building of the United States under constitution.
• George Washington was inaugurated there.
• Demolished in 1812
• Federal Hall National Memorial established 1812→ Wall Street
• As United Custom States House  
• Now operated by the National Park Service

• First called city hall

• New York’s federal hall was the location of the jailing, and trial of John Peter Zenger
• after Revolution, City Hall served as the meeting place for the Congress of the United States
• then renamed Federal Hall→ became first capitol of the United States.
• 1st United States Congress met there on March 4, 1789, to establish the new federal government
• and the first thing they did was count the votes for the election that George Washington ultimately won
• proposal and initial ratification of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution happened there
• classified as Federal Hall National Historic Sites→ May 26 1939
• redesignated as national memorial a national memorial on August 11, 1955

Trinity Church- Background information

Trinity Wall Street is an Episcopal parish that has been a part of New York City since 1697; Trinity is a symbol of spiritual values among downtown’s financial district. It was established before the Revolution, and in fact burned during the Great Fire. It was recognized by royal charter, trinity was the first Anglican Church in Manhattan. After the Revolutionary war Trinity helped form the Episcopal Church of America.

Trinity is responsible for a number of churches in New York.  George Washington prayed there after his inauguration as president in 1789. At the Trinity Congregation there is at least 1,000 strong congregation members. Because of a land grant from Queen Anne in 1705 Trinity is an important New York property owner. 

Trinity Church during the time of slavery, actually opened up a school for slave children. This is just one example among many, of how Trinity church is continuously trying to make the city better by running a lot of foundations and charities. 

 Over 3 different church buildings have sat at this sit, and the current one by architecture Richard Upjohn. He is one of the most famous and renowned architect of his time and even now his work is recognized as very impressive and historical. 

The sycamore tree that is cut to show the roots, is a 9/11 landmark. That sycamore tree was credited with keeping St.Paul's and Trinity church safe and surprisingly unharmed, from the 9/11 debris  that was found to be very harmful and destructive. The Trinity root is a sculpture by Steve Tobin put in 2005 in the south courtyard of the church. During the time of 9/11 Trinity was very accepting of the fire fighters, who were emotionally distraught  It accepted everyone of all religions very openly and just tried to be there for spiritual support and guidance. 

Trinity Church is one of the biggest land owners, even to this day. And it also has many charters that branch off of them, such as St.Paul's is one of the most famous charters that the church has. 

The Church itself is an Episcopal  parish, but when looking at it, it looks very similar to a Roman Catholic style Church. It has the massive arches and large stained glass windows inside along with a very central focus on the main alter. 

In the cemeteries at the Trinity church many famous New Yorker's were buried. William Alexander (1724-1783) who was a revolutionary war continental army major general, Alexander Hamilton (1755- 1804) continental army officer and a military aide to general George Washington and the first US treasurer and John Peter Zenger (1697-1746) Newspaper publisher whose liberal trial helped establish the right to freedom of press. 

Alexander Hamilton

           

            Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock in the West Indies. When his mother died he became an orphan and he was adopted by a local merchant. At a very young age people began to recognize his talent and potential and collected money to send him to New York for schooling. They were right in saying he had potential because he ended up being one of the founding fathers of the United States and he helped the United States get on its feet (financially) after the revolution. He faced a chaotic treasury because of the heavy debt of the of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton's first interest when he took office was the repayment of the war debt in full.  He implemented a system of taxation based on customs duties and the taxation of goods. Hamiltons attack on the debt and well-planned out ideas were respected by many other countries. He also introduced the idea of a bank and first established one in 1791. He is now obviously on the $10 bill and him and Benjamin Franklin were the only people to be on Currency without actually being presidents. 
           
           When he attended Kings college (now Columbia) He was exposed  to the Revolution at a young age because of all the protests outside. He later immersed himself in artillery tactics and military maneuvers. He joined the New York artillery in march 1776

He was a natural born leader like George Washington. He was never an actual general but A Scholar noted: "Hamilton's abilities as a conscientious and business-like leader were evident from his earliest days of military service. He not only had to recruit and train his own men; he also had to see that they were fed, clothed, and paid. While many young New Yorkers may have fought the enemy as bravely as Hamilton did, few battled the local authorities so stubbornly to provide for their troops." 

Hamilton also created one of the first major parties in American history: the Federalists. Federalists wanted a large federal government and anti-federalists wanted a weak federal government. 

            He was later elected to the Continental  Congress in 1782-83. Hamilton also was appointed a member of Congress. He worked closely with fellow New Yorker, Governor Morris, in financing the fledgling national government. 

"Alexander Hamilton." Alexander Hamilton. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

"America's Founding Fathers - Delegates to the Constitutional Convention." America's Founding Fathers - Delegates to the Constitutional Convention. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

"About." Alexander Hamilton (1789. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

"A Biography of Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804)." N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Picture:https://www.google.com/search?q=alexander+hamilton&espv=210&es_sm=91&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Obh5Up3RCInKsASgi4GgDQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1440&bih=653#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=qacxmj9Cdk3QMM%3A%3B2rwW-ysmOgLcYM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252Fcommons%252Fe%252Fea%252FAlexander_Hamilton%252C_by_Trumbull.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcommons.wikimedia.org%252Fwiki%252FFile%253AAlexander_Hamilton%252C_by_Trumbull.jpg%3B1827%3B2187

Robert Fulton (Jack I)

• 1. INTRODUCTION
• Robert Fulton 1765-1815 was an inventor/artist
• He was not the inventor of steamboat but constructed a steamboat named "Clermont" and made it a commercial success with first permanent route in history on Hudson River
• Fulton was born in a stone house on a farm near Quarryville, Pennsylvania. House was destroyed by fire, but now restored to original appearance.
• As a child he was an average student in Quaker school, but he excelled at drawing, painting, and mechanics.
• 2 HIS WORK
• As an adult he was a painter, but became interested in engineering and naval warfare. So in France he built a submarine Nautilus. It was steam powered.
• After this he worked with US navy to develop torpedo.
• 
• Fulton then designed first steam powered warship.
• He designed and constructed a steamboat called the "Clermont." It was a commercial vessel that left NYC and traveled up the Hudson River to Albany in 32 hours.
• To build Clermont Fulton teamed with Robert Livingston, the wealthy American ambassador of France. Clermont traveled against the current of the Hudson River at about 5 mph.
• 
• 3 AFTER DEATH 
• Died at 49 due to pneumonia. He died at home in Manhattan.many dignitaries attended funeral, but he was buried in vault next to wife at Trinity Church yard in Manhattan cemetery.
• People hardly knew where he was buried until 1901 when marker was placed near his grave. The cenotaph marker is a column with large portrait on one side. (It is near burial spot but NOT at it)
• There  is a marble statue of him in US capitol building.
• 
• Also there is a bronze statue of him in Battery Park in Manhattan.
• 
• 4 BOTTOM LINE
• Robert Fulton was often given credit for inventing the steamboat, however he was instead the guy that put it into practice.
• Fulton didn't actually invent the steamboat, BUT he turned it into a large scale commercial success, thereby transforming the world.
• When he dies US congress went into mourning, and NYC businesses closed for a day to honor him.

Castle Clinton in Battery Park

Old over-head photograph of Castle Clinton.

http://www.preserve.org/wtc/images/castle_clinton2.jpg

1. Location
• Castle Clinton, also known as Castle Garden, is a national monument located within the boundaries of Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan
2. Throughout the years, Castle Clinton has served many different functions
• Fort
• Theater
• Opera house
• National immigrant receiving station
• Aquarium (see drawing below)
3. Original purpose for Castle Clinton
• Built at the same time as Fort Wood on Bedloes Island, Fort Gibson on Ellis Island, three-tiered Castle Williams on Governors Island, and the North Battery at the foot of Hubert Street
• Initially built in order to prevent a British invasion in 1812. 

Drawing of the inside of Castle Clinton while it was used an aquarium.

http://www.corbisimages.com/images/Corbis-DEC427-24.jpg?size=67&uid=92c9cea6-5264-4336-8e03-ea34dd0acd2d

Photograph of Castle Clinton in Battery Park
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Battery_Park.JPG
Edited by Ben Zucker

African Burial Ground Memorial

While in the middle of construction for the Federal Office in 1991 human remains were discovered. 

Rediscovery

·      419 skeletal remains were found

Source: http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/04_22_97/story01.htm

Notes: Many skeletons (over 400) like this one were discovered in the construction site. 

Source: http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/04_22_97/story01.htm

Notes: This skeleton shows a female/mother. Because of the position of her arm, and the brittle bones around it we can infer that she was holding her newborn baby.

·    Controversy

o   Respect for the remains

o   Were they being well cared for

o   Wanted to halt the excavation

o   Congress acted to temporarily stop construction

o   Building plans were altered to provide space for memorialization     

·      Remains taken to Howard university in DC for study

o   Cobb laboratory= one of the nations leading African American research institutions

·   Studies showed a lot about life & death for Africans in colonial NY

·   Remains placed in coffins

o   Coffins buried near where they were originally found

o   In October 2003 the remains were reburied

·   About 10,000 and 20,000 people buried there

Significance

·    Designated a national historic landmark in 1993 b/c of its potential to provide information about lives of early Africans

o   Showed:

1. Quality of health

2. Region of Africa they came from

o   Altered historical misconceptions about life & culture of Africans

Memorial

·      Very open site in dense urban environment

·      Architect: Rodney Leon

Representation

·      Reconstructing the lives and conditions experienced by common ancestors

o   They built the city

Interesting Facts

·   - Medical students from New York Hospital would steal fresh corpses from burial ground for   -dissection..led to eventual Doctors Riot

·   - Tried to create postage stamp in honor of Burial Ground

Bibliography: 

"African Burial Ground." African Burial Ground. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://www.nyharborparks.org/visit/afbu.html>.

"The African Burial Ground." The African Burial Ground. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/101077?utm_source=R2>.

"African Burial Ground." African Burial Ground. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104240>.

Blakely, Micheal L., Ph.D. "The New York African Burial Ground Project:  An Examination of Enslaved Lives,A Construction of Ancestral Ties, by Dr. Robert Blakey - Part 1." The New York African Burial Ground Project:  An Examination of Enslaved Lives,A Construction of Ancestral Ties, by Dr. Robert Blakey - Part 1. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. http://www.huarchivesnet.howard.edu/0008huarnet/blakey1.htm

 "MAAP | Mapping the African American Past." MAAP. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://maap.columbia.edu/place/10.html>.

"African Burial Ground Memorial, New York, NY." African Burial Ground Memorial, New York, NY. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

"African Burial Ground National Monument Virtual Tour." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Sept. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.

Smalls, Romall F. "African Burial Ground Made Historic Site." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Feb. 1993. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.

Dunlap, David W. "African Burial Ground." N.p., 1993. Web

Lee, Jennifer. "African Burial Ground Memorial to Open on Friday." New York Times. N.p., 1 Oct. 2007. Web. 02 Nov. 2013. 

The Brooklyn Bridge

To this day, the Brooklyn Bridge serves to connect Brooklyn, which was third largest city in the world in 1860, and New York. The idea of building the bridge came from a German Engineer named John Roebling. John was inspired to build the Brooklyn Bridge when he experienced a long and cold ferry ride from New York to Brooklyn. John realized the inconvenience the bridge served for many people especially since at the time, around 40% of wage earners in Brooklyn worked in New York. After experiencing the miserable a harsh conditions that many workers have to experience to get to cross the East River, he thought that he should propose a convenient bridge that connects the two major cities. John submitted the bridge ideas in 1857.  

John Roebling though later died while trying to heal from a ferryboat accident. His son, Washington Augustus Roebling, took over the project. With Washington taking over project, construction of the bridge began in 1870.

One of the hardships that occurred during the construction was the emergence of caisson disease.

Workers worked in 2 massive watertight chambers, deep into the river's floor which were called caissons.
Pressurized air was pumped into the caisson to allow underwater construction of the bridge's foundation. This created a low-quality circulation of air.
Often if people worked in the caisson for a period of time, they had a high chance of being infected with caisson disease.

One man out of three quit every week

Washington Roebling also got infected with this disease

           It was reported that Washington became paralyzed from this disease and the nervous condition from overwork and anxiety. Washington's wife, Emily Roebling, became an important asset to the bridge; she delivered Washington's instruction to the workers and took charge of the construction while Washington could only watch the construction from his house in Brooklyn Heights.

Picture of the interior of a caisson during the Brooklyn Bridge construction
Picture from The Brooklyn Bridge They Said It Couldn't Be Built  by Judith St. George

Picture of Washington Roebling viewing the Brooklyn Bridge construction from his home in Brooklyn Heights

Picture from Fine Arts America

Around 20 men died in the 14-year process of building the bridge.

With the dedication of the workers, though, the bridge opened as the Great East River Bridge on May 24, 1883 having 150300 people walking onto it during opening day.

As a result, the Brooklyn Bridge not only serves revolutionary landmark that connects two major cities, but is recognized to "an embodiment of the scientific knowledge of physical laws." (Cadbury 114)

            It was the first steel-cable suspension bridge in the world  

            It was the first bridge to be coated with metal zinc to protect it from rust
            The two 276.5-ft tall towers of the bridge were taller than any NYC building at the time
            It was the world's largest suspension bridge at the time
            Based from the astonishing achievements in the physical outcome, the bridge is claimed to be the "eighth wonder of the world"

With its convenience and amazing physical elements, it is no wonder why people fell in love the bridge



Picture of the Brooklyn Bridge and its surroundings in during the late 1800s

Picture from Brooklyn Museum



Fun Fact: Some people were skeptical about the sturdiness of the bridge since they have never seen such application of physics be done. To prove that the bridge was stable, circus owner P. T. Barnum led 21 elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge on May 17, 1884.