The development of the “underclass” in American life and the beginning of what we now call pop culture both date back to the Lower East Side of nearly two centuries ago. Historian Warren Shaw delivers a dynamic lecture tracing pop culture’s roots in New York City. One of our most popular lectures so far!

The full title of the lecture is “Bums, Slummers and Swells—Social Class And The Birth Of American Popular Culture On The Lower East Side, 1820-1855″.

In the early 19th century, the Five Points, a tiny area near today’s Chinatown, became America’s first slum. The pastimes and diversions of Five Pointers — their “flash” talk, music, gang violence, and sensational theatre — became part of America’s social bedrock. Warren Shaw, historian, traces the roots of American pop culture — from slang and comic books to Hollywood action blockbusters, from rap to rock’n roll and tap dancing — back to Five Points, the very location from which he delivers this talk (Columbus Park).

This event was held by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.