logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
54m 6s

360. Fear City: New York in the 1970s

Goalhanger
About this episode

“A cloud of black, acrid smoke hung over the area. It was a scene from a warzone, a battlefield - it was a scene from the end of the world…” New York in the 1970s was a city decimated by economic stagnation, unemployment and ever-rising crime rates, haemorrhaging its population to the suburbs and to the more business-friendly South. Join Tom and Dominic as they look at the 1977 power blackout, the looting of New York, and life in the real Gotham City.


*The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*:


Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in London, New Zealand, and Australia!


Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com


Twitter: 


@TheRestHistory


@holland_tom


@dcsandbrook


Producer: Theo Young-Smith


Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2)
After the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson and the signing of the polarising Anglo-Irish Treaty, how did the bombastic Battle of the Four Courts break out in Dublin? With British guns opening fire on the building, how long did the men of the IRA hold out? What was the outcome of ... Show More
47m 22s
Jul 6
580. The Irish Civil War: The Assassination of Sir Henry Wilson (Part 1)
Who was Sir Henry Wilson, and how was he shockingly murdered in 1922? Who ordered it? What was his attitude to the question of Irish Home Rule? Why has death been compared to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose death triggered the First World War? How did he garn ... Show More
49m 32s
Jul 2
579. The Irish War of Independence: Showdown in London (Part 4)
What were the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in December 1921, following negotiations between the UK and Sinn Féin? How was it received by the Irish people? What was the process by which it was agreed between Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Michael Collins, and Arthur G ... Show More
1h 7m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
New Amsterdam
Before New York was New York, it was New Amsterdam. Dutch colonists arrived on the East Coast in the early 17th century, creating the New Netherlands. At its heart was a settlement on the tip of the island of Manhattan, centred on the fur trade. Russell Shorto tells Don how New A ... Show More
36m 56s
Sep 2021
Episode 23: Frank "PeeWee" Matthews
On episode 23 of the Sit Down, Jeff and BlackJack delve into one of the most mysterious, fascinating figures in the history of American organized crime, Frank Matthews. Frank rose from the country roads of North Carolina to New York City and created the biggest drug empire in the ... Show More
1h 23m
Mar 2021
Woodstock '99 | 43
The 30th anniversary of Woodstock was supposed to celebrate the iconic music festival known for peace, love and happiness but instead Woodstock ’99 turned into a weekend of violence and mayhem. The weekend ended with a fiery riot and reports of numerous sexual assaults, some taki ... Show More
45m 21s
Mar 2022
New York Goes Underground
March 12, 1888. There’s been a blizzard in New York. Wind, ice, and snow have brought the city to a halt. Stagecoaches are stuck, elevated trains are frozen. By the time the storm is over, 400 New Yorkers will die. The public outrage is severe, and many blame New York City’s faul ... Show More
31m 11s
Mar 2021
The Battle in Seattle | 45
On November 30, 1999, thousands of protestors locked arms and marched into downtown Seattle. They surrounded a convention center where a conference organized by the World Trade Organization was set to take place over the next four days. Most of the demonstrators were peaceful but ... Show More
43m 55s
Sep 2022
The Atomic Bomb & the Secret City
In 1939 Franklin D Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein, warning him that the Nazis might be developing nuclear weapons. America has to act fast. What follows is the creation of a secret city in the rural area of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Around 75,000 people moved to the ... Show More
27m 28s
Feb 2022
The Origins of London
London is today one of the greatest cities in the world, and the story of its origins is fittingly spectacular. Founded by the Romans as Londinium in around 47-50 AD, the metropolis served as a major commercial hub and indeed military target until its abandonment in the 5th centu ... Show More
1 h
Mar 2023
EP. 105 NEW YORK - Maksim Gelman: The NYC Killing Spree of 2011
Every day, millions of people walk the busy streets of New York City, from natives heading to work to tourists visiting famous attractions. Everywhere you go, you see thousands of faces from all walks of life. But how well do we really know these people? What are they capable of? ... Show More
1h 58m