The Epic of 1898: When Brooklyn and Manhattan Became One

The New York City we know today is the result of a consolidation of numerous municipalities and townships surrounding Manhattan that, in 1898, voted to become one city. Prior to this Great Consolidation, the City of New York was just the borough of Manhattan, while the neighboring municipality across the East River known as Brooklyn was its own independent city.

The two cities were neck-and-neck in competition as America’s leading cities, with New York ranking first, Chicago ranking a close second, and Brooklyn ranking third. But Chicago was very quickly catching up to New York as America’s largest and wealthiest city. The proposal to consolidate came from Andrew Haswell Green (pictured above), who wanted to ensure that New York remains America’s flagship city. However, the proposal was not met without resistance.

Brooklyn and New York may have been connected via the East River, and eventually with the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, but this did not mean that Brooklynites were willing to surrender their autonomy to another city. So how did the Consolidation happen? What were the events leading up to it? And what became of the aftermath?

This tour seeks to answer those questions, beginning in Lower Manhattan, setting the context for the leadup to Consolidation, and ending in Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge, the iconic symbol of Brooklyn-Manhattan unity. Along the way, we will gain a deeper appreciation for New York’s legendary urban past—and its exciting urban future.