Reviewed by: Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City by Catherine McNeur Elena Shabliy Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City. By Catherine McNeur. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2014, 312 pages, $48.24 Cloth. Taming Manhattan: Environmental Battles in the Antebellum City is a lively picture of New York City at the beginning of the nineteenth century that may not be familiar to modern readers. This superb study focuses on the intersection of social and environmental history, elucidating the city's changing character and transformation during the antebellum period, when New York became one of the strongest commercial markets in the United States. Catherine McNeur, an award winning environmental historian and associate professor of public history at Portland State University, highlights the challenges of developing a plan for New York City. As the title of her meticulous historical analysis suggests, this work brings forth various environmental battles that antebellum Manhattan faced as city officials dealt with parks expansion, animals, manure, filth, corrupt food production, public health, and many other complex issues. The rapid urbanization process between the War of 1812 and the Civil War brought dramatic social and environmental changes. The city was a [End Page 475] magnet for rural Americans and immigrants from different parts of the world. The constant influx of immigrants changed the city, its character, and the landscape. Epidemics and fires, however, slowed the pace of urbanization. Despite all the challenges, politicians, reformers, and other members of the community worked hard on the urbanization and beautification of the city as well as on improving the urban environment. The development of City Park was a focal point in this process. Nonetheless, environmental inequalities created obstacles for expanding parks throughout the city. This book compellingly describes the battles and tensions over animals on the streets; wandering loose dogs and hogs were perceived as "domestic animals," but the main problem was that these animals created chaos and contributed to the filth and epidemics (10). New York was not the only city going through the urbanization process and struggling with animals, filth, and lack of control. Other cities, such as New Orleans, Boston, and San Francisco faced similar challenges. Boston and Philadelphia, as McNeur points out, much more effectively controlled the problem of free-roaming animals. Some residents thought of dogs as beloved companions and guardians, for others they were a symbol of wealth. Dog owners had supporters across the socioeconomic categories throughout the United States. Other New York residents were afraid of dog attacks and uncontrollable animals, and the Common Council passed several laws. Dog catchers received monetary incentives for killing animals, and this situation caused public resistance. Society acknowledged that violence toward animals was harmful. Thus, the Board of Aldermen was forced to reevaluate the law that stimulated killing of animals. McNeur also concentrates on the city's parks development as it related to the real estate boom during the 1830s. New Yorkers understood the role that parks and street trees played in the urban landscape; politicians and speculators tried to develop and refine the city. Green spaces could make the city economically vibrant and healthier. Moreover, promenades became fashionable among upper-class New Yorkers. Parks usually existed in wealthy neighborhoods, so not everyone had access to these peaceful green spaces. In addition, parks were often created on private properties that the city had to purchase in advance. The inequality of the distribution of parks throughout the city brought some public tensions and debates; the value of real estate depended on elite green spaces. New York society agreed that [End Page 476] park spaces were especially beneficial and safe for women because these areas were well controlled. One of the largest landowners in New York was Trinity Church. The church, following the London model, kept St. John Square private and New Yorkers paid an annual fee for the entrance to the "Garden of Eden" (64). The city did not tax public parks; taxes were paid by owners of private parks only. Union Square is an example of a public park. The development of public parks slowed down, however, after the 1837 Panic. The image of the city and the perception of foreigners of the commercial center...