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AFTER THE REVOLUTION

Growth and change In 1811 a new plan for the city was devised that divided the land above 14th Street into a grid. This still forms the basis of Manhattan’s layout. Another important event was the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. Goods for shipping overseas were brought along the canal to New York, which grew into a major seaport. In 1842 the Croton Aqueduct brought pure water to the city for the first time. Then in 1858 Central Park was laid out. This was the largest park in the country. In 1790 Philadelphia took over as the American capital. But New York still grew amazingly fast—in ten years the population rose by 30,000 to reach 79,000 in 1800. This growth continued throughout the 19th century and beyond.

The 363-mile (585 m)-long, 30-foot- wide Erie Canal was built in just seven years. It linked New York’s Hudson River to the Great Lakes .

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New arrivals From the 1820s, thousands of European immigrants poured into New York City. The pace of immigration grew faster in mid-century, after famine in Ireland and revolution in Germany led people to seek refuge abroad. Immigrant numbers increased further still in the 1880s, when Jews escaping ill-treatment in Eastern Europe and Russia arrived in the city. Poor Italians also came to New York looking for work.

Immigrants at Ellis Island in 1900. People arriving there had to have a medical examination. If they were suffering from an infectious disease, they were sent back home.

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Major World Cities