Maritcha, A Nineteenth-Century American Girl

Maritcha, A Nineteenth-Century American Girl — page 5
6 Maritcha's first home was in Five Points so called because of a five cornered intersection of three streets in the neighborhood Anthony now Worth Street Cross now Park Street and Orange now Baxter Street Maritcha was born some twenty years later on May 28 1848 At the time the black community was tiny less than three percent of New York City's roughly half million residents New York City was tiny too just Manhattan But even back then it was a hustle bustle high strung place of extremes shack and rags poverty amid colossal wealth virulent vice gambling drunken ness brawls alongside virtuous living