Inside The Gods of New York: Johnathan Mahler on the Decade That Remade the City
Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast
11/18/25
•26m
About
Comments
Featured In
In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Mahler, author of The Gods of New York, to explore the four years that transformed America’s greatest city—and foretold the divisions that would come to define the nation.
From Wall Street’s boom to the crack epidemic, from Howard Beach to the Central Park jogger case, from ACT UP to Spike Lee, the New York of 1986–1989 was a city teeming with conflict, creativity, and change. Mahler paints a vivid portrait of a metropolis at war with itself: between greed and grit, privilege and poverty, rebirth and decay.
Together, we discuss how this pivotal era gave rise to figures like Donald Trump, Al Sharpton, Ed Koch, and Rudy Giuliani—and why the battles of 1980s New York still echo in today’s America.
Previous Episode
The Alien Enemies Act: When Fear Became Law—and Never Left
November 15, 2025
•16m
Passed in 1798 as part of the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts, the Alien Enemies Act has outlived its controversial siblings — and it’s still on the books today. In this episode, I trace its origins in the fear and politics of the early republic, how presidents from Madison to FDR have invoked it in times of war, and what it means that this 18th-century law remains active in the 21st century.
From the tension between liberty and security to the ways old laws shape modern policy, this is the story of how a relic of the Federalist Era continues to echo through American history.
Next Episode
The Battle of Little Bighorn: The Victory That Doomed a Nation
November 22, 2025
•15m
What really happened at the Battle of Little Bighorn and how did a single momentous victory seal the fate of the Plains tribes?
Join me this week as I dive into the events that led to Custer’s defeat, the broken treaties and gold rush that fueled the conflict, and how the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho achieved one of the most decisive Native victories in U.S. history. I also explore how the aftermath reshaped federal policy, public opinion, and the future of the Great Plains.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted