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The Immigrant Experience Women's History

Where They Lived: Remembering the victims of The Triangle Factory Fire

Today marks the 113th anniversary of the Triangle Factory Fire. For information on commemorations and other activities, visit Remember the Triangle Coalition. For stories of the struggles faced by employees of the shirtwaist industry, check out our 2020 show on the Shirtwaist Strike of 1909: And for more information on the Triangle Factory Fire itself,… Read More

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Museums Neighborhoods The Immigrant Experience

A Visit to the Ukrainian Museum in the East Village

There’s a small pocket of the East Village still referred to today as “Little Ukraine” (or Ukrainian Village), located at 6th and 7th Streets between First and Third Avenues. Once populated in the late 19th century with thousands of newly arrived Ukrainian immigrants, this area has grown notably smaller in recent years, more distinguished today… Read More

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American History Politics and Protest The Immigrant Experience

The Making and Remaking of the Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance feels like an American tradition that traces itself back to the Founding Fathers, but, in fact, it was only written in 1892. And the version you may be familiar with from elementary school — featuring the most recent phrase “under God” — is less than 70 years old. This is the… Read More

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Food History Landmarks Podcasts The Immigrant Experience

The Great New York City Pizza Tour: History By The Slice

The history of pizza in the United States begins in Manhattan in the late 19th century, on the streets of Little Italy (and Nolita), within immigrant-run bakeries that transformed a traditional southern Italian food into something remarkable. But new research discovered in recent years has changed New York food history, revealing an origin tale slightly… Read More

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American History Podcasts The Immigrant Experience

When The Irish Came To New York: An Immigrant Story

One of the great narratives of American history — immigration — through the experiences of the Irish. We just reedited and reworked our 2017 show on Irish immigration in time for St. Patrick’s Day and a celebration of all things Irish! So much has changed in our world since 2017 and this history feels more… Read More

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Podcasts The Immigrant Experience Writers and Artists

The story of Jacob Riis and ‘The Other Half’ of Gilded Age New York

In 1890 the Danish-American journalist Jacob Riis turned his eye-opening reporting and lecture series into a ground-breaking book called How The Other Half Lives, a best seller which awoke Americans to the plight of the poor and laid the groundwork for the Progressive Era. Riis exposed more than a humanitarian crisis. He laid bare the… Read More

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Neighborhoods Podcasts The Immigrant Experience

The Changing Lower East Side: A View From Seward Park

In this special episode, we look at the history of New York City as seen through one corner of the Lower East Side. Created by the intersections of several streets, this is a place that has gone by many names — in the past and even today. At its center is Seward Park, the first… Read More

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Gilded Age New York The Gilded Gentleman The Immigrant Experience

Invisible Magicians: Domestic Servants in Gilded Age New York

What was life like for a valet, a cook or a scullery maid in the mansions of late 19th century New York? How were houses with large staffs even managed? What were the hardships? And what were the benefits? Join The Gilded Gentleman for a look below stairs! Carl is joined by Esther Crain, author of The Gilded… Read More

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Podcasts Religious History The Immigrant Experience

The Temple on Fifth Avenue: A Story of Jewish New York and Congregation Emanu-El

Temple Emanu-El, home to New York’s first Reform Jewish congregation and the largest synagogue in the city, sits on the spot of Mrs. Caroline Astor‘s former Gilded Age mansion. Out with the old, in with the new. The synagogue shimmers with Jazz Age style from vibrant stained-glass windows to its Art Deco tiles and mosaics.… Read More

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Bowery Boys Bookshelf The Immigrant Experience

In ‘The Great Disappearing Act’, German New York fades into the background

In the 1850s, New York City had become the third largest German-speaking capital in the world, topped only by Berlin and Vienna. In just thirty years — since the first significant influx of immigrants in the 1820s — Germans had helped to transform the city’s cultural life. But today, even as we celebrate a tapestry… Read More