"The Slaughter of Cities: Urban Renewal as Ethnic Cleansing" by E. Michael Jones is a profound investigation into the urban renewal programs of the mid-20th century in American cities, focusing on Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Chicago. Spanning 668 pages, this work disputes the prevailing notion that these government-led initiatives were benevolent attempts that unfortunately failed. Instead, Jones presents the argument that the erasure of ethnic neighborhoods was a calculated plan, executed under the facade of community improvement, aimed at dismantling the cultural and societal core of these communities.
Jones' thorough research and in-depth analysis offer a compelling case that urban renewal was essentially ethnic cleansing. He highlights the negative repercussions of high-rise projects, the manipulation of ethnic identities, and the systematic displacement of communities. Utilizing a broad range of sources, including government records, essays, memoirs, and firsthand accounts, the book demonstrates how federal housing policies were strategically used by a powerful elite to weaken the political and social standing of Polish, Italian, Irish, and other ethnic groups in America's major industrial cities.
Praised by critics for its engaging narrative on urban development and the tragic outcomes of flawed social planning, "The Slaughter of Cities" has received acclaim from a variety of publications, including Booklist Magazine, Riverwest Currents, The Wanderer, Culture Wars, Chronicles Magazine, The Weekly Standard, The Barnes Review, The Illinois Leader, St. Anthony Messenger, and Solari, The Real Deal on US Housing Policy. These reviews underscore the book's significant insights into the complexities of urban issues and their historical underpinnings.
Identified as a cautionary account of governmental overstepping and a critique of the urban planning elite's contempt for ethnic communities, Jones's book is deemed essential reading for those interested in the fields of American history, urban studies, social planning, and the dynamics of ethnicity and politics. It urges readers to rethink the narrative surrounding urban renewal and to acknowledge the enduring effects of these policies on today's urban landscape. "The Slaughter of Cities" is not merely a historical recount but also a call to recognize and confront the socio-political dynamics that have shaped, and continue to shape, urban development in the United States.
