The Bowery Boys—Street Corner Radicals And The Politics Of Rebellion

In the decades before the Civil War, the miserable living conditions of New York City's lower east side nurtured the gangs of New York. This book tells the story of the Bowery Boys, one gang that emerged as part urban legend and part street fighters for the city's legions of young workers. Poverty and despair led to a gang culture that was easily politicized, especially under the leadership of Mike Walsh who led a distinct faction of the Bowery Boys that engaged in the violent, almost anarchic, politics of the city during the 1840s and 1850s. Amid the toppled ballot boxes and battles for supremacy on the streets, many New Yorkers feared Walsh's gang was at the frontline of a European-style revolution.

Peter Adams is a freelance writer. A former journalist, his work has appeared in newspapers for the Gannett chain, includingUSA Today, as well as in publications that specialize in national security issues. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.