Playing the Numbers - Gambling in Harlem between the Wars Gambling in Harlem between the Wars

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  • Engels
  • Hardcover
  • 9780674051072
  • 15 mei 2010
  • 320 pagina's
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The most ubiquitous feature of Harlem life between the world wars was the game of “numbers.” Thousands of wagers were placed daily. Playing the Numbers tells the story of this illegal form of gambling and the central role it played in the lives of African Americans who flooded into Harlem in the wake of World War I.



The phrase “Harlem in the 1920s” evokes images of the Harlem Renaissance, or of Marcus Garvey and soapbox orators haranguing crowds about politics and race. Yet the most ubiquitous feature of Harlem life between the world wars was the game of “numbers.” Thousands of wagers, usually of a dime or less, would be placed on a daily number derived from U.S. bank statistics. The rewards of “hitting the number,” a 600-to-1 payoff, tempted the ordinary men and women of the Black Metropolis with the chimera of the good life. Playing the Numbers tells the story of this illegal form of gambling and the central role it played in the lives of African Americans who flooded into Harlem in the wake of World War I.

For a dozen years the “numbers game” was one of America’s rare black-owned businesses, turning over tens of millions of dollars every year. The most successful “bankers” were known as Black Kings and Queens, and they lived royally. Yet the very success of “bankers” like Stephanie St. Clair and Casper Holstein attracted Dutch Schultz, Lucky Luciano, and organized crime to the game. By the late 1930s, most of the profits were being siphoned out of Harlem.

Playing the Numbers reveals a unique dimension of African American culture that made not only Harlem but New York City itself the vibrant and energizing metropolis it was. An interactive website allows readers to locate actors and events on Harlem’s streets.

Productspecificaties

Inhoud

Taal
en
Bindwijze
Hardcover
Oorspronkelijke releasedatum
15 mei 2010
Aantal pagina's
320
Illustraties
Nee

Betrokkenen

Hoofdauteur
Shane White
Tweede Auteur
Stephen Garton
Co Auteur
Stephen Robertson
Hoofduitgeverij
Harvard University Press

Overige kenmerken

Extra groot lettertype
Nee
Product breedte
140 mm
Product lengte
210 mm
Studieboek
Nee
Verpakking breedte
140 mm
Verpakking hoogte
210 mm
Verpakking lengte
210 mm
Verpakkingsgewicht
596 g

EAN

EAN
9780674051072

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Boek, ebook of luisterboek?
Boek
Taal
Engels
Beschikbaarheid
Leverbaar
Periode
ca. 1920-1939
Nog geen reviews

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