1900; or, The last President

The night of November 3, 1896, falls over New York like a ship struck by an iceberg. News of a surprising presidential victory spreads like a thunderclap, freezing the city’s well‑to‑do citizens in their homes while anxiety ripples through the streets. Almost immediately, the police issue desperate warnings, urging everyone to barricade doors and extinguish lights as rumors of anarchist and socialist mobs swirl.

In the darkness, massive crowds surge toward Union Square, chanting for the newly elected leader and demanding vengeance against the wealthy elite. Governor Morton calls up three regiments, and soldiers line the square with rifles and bayonets, their disciplined formation a thin barrier against an overwhelming tide. As gunfire erupts and the first volleys blaze across the cobblestones, the listeners can feel the frantic struggle between order and chaos that will shape the city’s fate.