The Rise and Fall of Protestant Brooklyn: An American Story

Stuart M. Blumin and Glenn C. Altschuler's book on Brooklyn's history wins the Herbert H. Lehman Prize. It describes how nineteenth-century Puritan New England Protestants controlled the area but lost power with the arrival of diverse groups in the twentieth century. Despite this, Yankee-Protestant dominance persisted until the influx of Southern and Eastern European immigrants, who built a vibrant ethnic mosaic and laid the foundation for cultural pluralism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2022
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Winner of the Herbert H. Lehman Prize by the New York Academy of History, Stuart M. Blumin and Glenn C. Altschuler's book, The Rise and Fall of Protestant Brooklyn, delves into the nineteenth-century dominance of Puritan New England Protestants in Brooklyn and their subsequent decline with the arrival of diverse groups in the twentieth century. Originally a charming town across the river from Manhattan, Brooklyn was known for its churches and suburban life. However, with the city's growth, the emergence of new secular institutions, and the allure of Coney Island, post-Puritan values began to clash. Despite these changes, Yankee-Protestant dominance persisted until the influx of Southern and Eastern European immigrants. The book highlights how these new residents built a vibrant ethnic mosaic, laying the foundation for cultural pluralism and embedding it in the American Creed.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501765513