Gangs of New York

Gangs of New York

I chose to watch this movie because its main focus was the Draft Riots and the gang rivals. "Gangs of New York" though containing some Hollywood characters and storylines also contains several historically accurate characters and the events they play part in.

The movie starts off in 1846 with a battle between the Irish (Dead Rabbits) and the Natives of New York. Priest Vallon is the Rabbits' leader who was murdered by William Cutting a.k.a. Bill "The Butcher". 16 years later, 1862 in the 2nd year of the Civil war, his son Amsterdam Vallon, an Irish immigrant, seeks revenge to New York to kill Bill "The Butcher." They actually become really good friends, almost like brothers. Until Bill The Butcher finds out that he is actually priest Vallons son. They begin to fight as Draft riots go off. Bill and Amsterdam both get wounded and Amsterdam pulls out his blade, that McGinn saved for him that was formerly his fathers, and kills Cutting. William Cutting is buried next to Priest Vallon.

The New York City Draft Riots of 1863. President Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, which would free slaves in those states or regions still in rebellion against the Union. The first draftees were drawn in New York City on July 11, 1863. Lincoln called for 300,000 more young men to fight, which scared people. The Irish immigrants were the most resentful of the groups for inequalities. They were prejudice with the blacks. On June 12, the names of the draftees drawn the day before were posted, and within hours the riots broke out. Some 50,000 people terrorized the east side of New York for three days. The riots caused $1.5 million of damages.

"Gangs of New York" while contained some Hollywood characters and story lines keeps true to the historical record that we know as the Civil War and its Draft Riots. Characters like Bill "The Butcher" and McGinn did exist, although they didn't necessarily participate in the actual historical event. "Gangs of New York" gave a very broad perspective of the New York riots with a bit of a revenge plot. So over all I would say that the movie was accurate.

In one scene set around 1862, Bill the Butcher says: 'An Irishman will do for a nickel what a ----- will do for a dime or a white man for a quarter'. This statement was pretty broad, yet very confusing because