A troubled soul—facing difficult choices."

It is difficult to imagine what could have been going on in the life of Anthony Van Bergen, causing him to choose to commit burglary in 1843. Was it the result of unemployment? Was it a death in the family? Was it just a bad choice? The only one with the answer is Van Bergen himself. Yet, almost two hundred years later, the reasons behind twenty-five-year-old Van Bergen’s choices are still unknown.

It was Kingston, New York. The year was 1843. Somewhere on the streets of Kingston, Van Bergen was waiting—waiting for the perfect time to strike. Van Bergen broke into a house or business, with the intent to commit a crime.[1] At the time, he could have broken through a window or a door, and he may have been armed or aided by an accomplice. Yet his intent was clear, he was there to commit the act of burglary. His acts eventually caught up to him. In 1843, Van Bergen had his day in court. For the counts of burglary, he was faced with the possibility of up to ten years in prison, dependent upon the degree of burglary. The court sentenced Van Bergen to two years in Sing-Sing Prison. His sentence suggests he was convicted of either third degree burglary or fourth degree burglary.[2]

After serving two years in prison, Van Bergen was released on December 18^th, 1846. According to Hiram Rowel, an agent of the prison, Van Bergen’s release was the result of him being found “faithful, industrious and obedient in every particular.” But what does this mean? What does it take to be considered obedient in every particular? This would suggest that Van Bergen obeyed every order given to him during his time at Sing-Sing. At the time, Sing-Sing employed a program akin to the Auburn System of prison discipline. During the day, prisoners would work together in a factory, while at night, they were separated and required to be silent. [3] Ironically, this system undermined efforts at Sing-Sing to create a more humane prison experience. Commonly, prison guards would torture prisoners if work was not satisfactory.  Common torture tactics included the whip called “the cat.”[4] Use of the cat was abolished in 1847, during a three-year trial period.[5] This way of life in prison would not only impact Van Bergen, but it would also impact all of the other prisoners, many of whom are mentioned throughout Isaac Hopper’s Diary. Thus, based on the system in place at Sing-Sing, it was beneficial for him to obey orders to prevent being tortured or punished.

Following his release, Van Bergen was referred to Isaac Hopper. On December 19^th, 1846, Van Bergen met with Hopper, for the first time. With Hopper’s aid, Van Bergen attempted to improve his life and earn Hopper’s respect. Van Bergen was determined not to continue on his previous path, yet he was unable to find employment in New York City. At the advice of Hopper, Van Bergen traveled back to Kingston, hoping to acquire employment at a hydraulic lime manufactory. It is unknown whether or not Van Bergen found employment in Kingston since Hopper had no more contact with him.

The story of Anthony Van Bergen is not unique. As the Diary attests, Van Bergen was one of many people convicted of burglary during the 1840s. This raises the question: what was life like at the time, that would cause so many, including Van Bergen, to commit burglary? To understand this, it is important to understand the history of New York City, and surrounding areas.

Around 1937, construction began on the Croton Aqueduct, a necessary project, to provide clean water to the growing population. The Aqueduct was meant to supply twenty-seven million gallons of water per day to the city.[6] At the same time, there began to be an influx of immigrants throughout the 1840s, resulting in a change to New York City. From 1843 to 1846, there were over three hundred thousand immigrants who arrived in the city.[7] Many of the immigrants came from Ireland. During the 1840s, there was distress and crop failures, which brought disaster after disaster. One of the well-known disasters was the Irish Potato Famine (1845).[8] Consequently, many Irish immigrants fled the country to try and improve their lives, by seeking refuge in New York City. Following the influx of immigrants—stores, businesses and housing were built across New York City, to support the growing communities.[9] Furthermore, immigrants worked rough labor on the canals, railroads, roadways—jobs that native commonly did not want to—and sometimes worked in factories, workshops, shipyards and construction sites alongside native. [10] Consequently, as a result of the influx of immigration, there was a rise in ethnic conflicts. Moreover, there was also a rise in crime and an increase in the creation of gangs. Through the course of the 1840s, the Irish served as the primary founders of gangs. These gangs were responsible for the increase in crimes that would occur throughout the city.¹¹ In order to combat the rising numbers of immigrants and ethnic conflicts., the city created its police department. The department was divided into three districts: the First, the Second and the Third. Within each department, there was a police court and office.¹²

Based upon the knowledge on the foundation of New York City in the 1840s, there is a better understanding of what has led to the increase in crime, and subsequently, Van Bergen’s arrest for burglary.

Footnotes:

[1] Commissioners of the Code, "The Penal Code of the State of New York." New York (State) Statutes, 1865, 194.

[2] "The Penal Code of the State of New York," 197.

[3] Larry E. Sullivan, The Prison Reform Movement: Forlorn Hopee. (Boston, MA: Twayne Publishers, 1990), 1-23.

[4] Denis Brian, Sing Sing: The Inside Story of a Notorious Prison. (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2005), 33.

[5] Denis Brian, Sing Sing: The Inside Story of a Notorious Prison (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2005), 35.

[6] H. Wilson, The Great Metropolis; or Guide to New York, For 1848. Vol. 4. (New York: H. Ludwig, 1848), 55.

[7] H. Wilson, The Great Metropolis; or Guide to New York, For 1848., vol. 4 (New York: H. Ludwig, 1848), 56.

[8] Robert Ernst, Immigrant Life in New York City, 1825-1863. (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1994), 6.

[9] Robert Ernst, Immigrant Life in New York City, 1825-1863 (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1994), 40.

[10] Robert Ernst, Immigrant Life in New York City, 1825-1863 (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1994), 99.

[11]  Paul Dolan, "Rise of Crime in the Period 1830-1860." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 30, no. 6 (March 1940): 857-64.

[12]  Wilson, 69.