History Awesome / GangsOfNewYork

* It's more of an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome for [[GeniusBonus anyone who knows the real story of the Draft Riots]], but the telegraph operators mention the mob attacking the Colored Orphans Asylum on 5th Avenue. Though the riot was started by volunteer firemen of "Black Joke" Engine Company 33, Fire Chief John Decker and sixteen men of Engine Company 33 who remained loyal responded to the orphanage and extinguished several fires in the building as the mob assaulted them. Chief Decker even made an impassioned speech to the angry mob to spare the orphanage. When the rioters threatened to lynch Decker, the sixteen Black Joke firemen surrounded him and declared [[YouShallNotPass that the mob would only hang the Chief over their dead bodies]]. Decker and his firefighters wound up being severely beaten by rioters and the orphanage burned to the ground, but the distraction they created allowed the firemen of Engine Company 16 to evacuate 200 black children out the back door or the facility to safety.

* YMMV, but after seeing the depravity and cruelty of the Draft Riots, and especially the rioters freely slaughtering blacks, watching the Union Army - made up of very irritated Gettysburg veterans - move in and showing the mob what ''real'' firepower is.

* YMMV, but after seeing the depravity and cruelty of the Draft Riots, watching the Army move in and showing the mob what ''real'' firepower is.

* Boss Tweed is supremely disappointed that Bill Cutting has just killed Monk [=McGinn=], the Irish sheriff. "You don't know what you've done to yourself." Daniel Day-Lewis then scares the ever-loving crap out of everyone when he taps that knife against his glass eye.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic - Music/{{U2}}'s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSGftwq-RVo&feature=related The Hands That Built America]]" at the end. Not to mention an instrumental of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpFNwk77YBQ Signal to Noise]]" by Peter Gabriel during the battle at the beginning.

* YMMV, but after seeing the depravity and cruelty of the Draft Riots, watching the Army move in and showing the mob what ''real'' firepower is.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-8Lu7MRjQs&feature=related The final scene of the movie]], with Amsterdam saying how life in the city would go on despite the carnage of the Draft Riots. This is followed by a time-lapse of the New York skyline from the 1800s up to the present day, set to Music/{{U2}}'s epic "[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The Hands That Built America]]".

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome - Music/{{U2}}'s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSGftwq-RVo&feature=related The Hands That Built America]]" at the end. Not to mention an instrumental of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpFNwk77YBQ Signal to Noise]]" by Peter Gabriel during the battle at the beginning.

* Boss Tweed is supremely disappointed that Bill Cutting has just [[spoiler:killed Monk [=McGinn=], the Irish sheriff.]] "You don't know what you've done to yourself." Daniel Day-Lewis then scares the ever-loving crap out of everyone when he taps that knife against his glass eye.

* The entire [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKJ_OOKQVrU Draft Riot scene]], especially when The Dead Rabbits and the Natives are all set for their final showdown...[[spoiler:[[RocksFallEveryoneDies and instead they get bombarded by cannons and shot by Union soldiers]].]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-8Lu7MRjQs&feature=related The final scene of the movie]], with Amsterdam saying [[spoiler:how life in the city would go on despite the carnage of the Draft Riots. This is followed by a time-lapse of the New York skyline from the 1800s up to the present day]], set to Music/{{U2}}'s epic [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The Hands That Built America]]

* It's more of an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome for [[GeniusBonus anyone who knows the real story of the Draft Riots]], but the telegraph operators mention the mob attacking the Colored Orphans Asylum on 5th Avenue. Though the riot was started by volunteer firemen of "Black Joke" Engine Company 33, Fire Chief John Decker and sixteen men of Engine Company 33 who remained loyal responded to the orphanage and extinguished several fires in the building as the mob assaulted them. Chief Decker even made an impassioned speech to the angry mob to spare the orphanage. When the rioters threatened to lynch Decker, the sixteen Black Joke firemen surrounded him and declared [[YouShallNotPass]] that the mob would only hang the Chief over their dead bodies. Decker and his firefighters wound up being severely beaten by rioters and the orphanage burned to the ground, but the distraction they created allowed the firemen of Engine Company 16 to evacuate 200 black children out the back door or the facility to safety.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-8Lu7MRjQs&feature=related The final scene of the movie]], with Amsterdam saying [[spoiler:how life in the city would go on despite the carnage of the Draft Riots. This is followed by a time-lapse of the New York skyline from the 1800s up to the present day]], set to {{U2}}'s epic [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The Hands That Built America]]

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome - U2's "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSGftwq-RVo&feature=related The Hands That Built America]]" at the end. Not to mention an instrumental of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpFNwk77YBQ Signal to Noise]]" by Peter Gabriel during the battle at the beginning.

* At the beginning of the Draft Riots, a rich home is besieged by ax carrying firefighters . What does the patriarch do? Sends the women upstairs and takes on the mob with only ''two guns''. Pretty badass.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome - U2's "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSGftwq-RVo&feature=related The Hands That Built America]]" at the end. Not to mention an instrumental of "Signal to Noise" by Peter Gabriel during the battle at the beginning.

* The entire Draft Riot scene, especially when The Dead Rabbits and the Natives are all set for their final showdown...[[spoiler:[[RocksFallEveryoneDies and instead they get bombarded by cannons and shot by Union soldiers]].]]

* It's a minor thing, and words don't really do it justice, but the two occasions when Bill responds to a cheering crowd with a bored royal wave have always been stand-out moments. The fact that he can make a gesture which is so arrogant and dismissive of the adulation (and even look irritated by the tedium of it,) and actually ''not'' come across as a pompous SmugSnake in any way is quite remarkable. May be a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for the actor rather than the character, but either way, it's awesome.

* "Priest" Vallon belligerently unsheathing a sword hidden inside his crucifix in response to Bill's challenge is definitely a standout.

* It's a minor thing, and words don't really do it justice, but the two occasions when Bill responds to a cheering crowd with a bored royal wave have always been standout moments. The fact that he can make a gesture which is so arrogant and dismissive of the adulation (and even look irritated by the tedium of it,) and actually ''not'' come across as a pompous SmugSnake in any way is quite remarkable. May be a CMoA for the actor rather than the character, but either way, it's awesome.

* It's a minor thing, and words don't really do it justice, but the two occasions when Bill responds to a cheering crowd with a bored royal wave have always been standout moments. The fact that he can make a gesture which is so arrogant and dismissive of the adulation (and even look irritated by the tediousness of it,) and actually ''not'' come across as a pompous SmugSnake in any way is quite remarkable. May be a CMoA for the actor rather than the character, but either way, it's awesome.

* Boss Tweed is supremely disappointed that Bill Cutting has just [[spoiler:killed Monk McGinn, the Irish sheriff.]] "You don't know what you've done to yourself." Daniel Day-Lewis then scares the ever-loving crap out of everyone when he taps that knife against his glass eye.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Too many to list in full.
** "Priest" Vallon belligerently unsheathing a sword hidden inside his crucifix in response to Bill's challenge is definitely a standout.
** The entire Draft Riot scene, especially when The Dead Rabbits and the Natives are all set for their final showdown...[[spoiler:[[RocksFallEveryoneDies and instead they get bombarded by cannons and shot by Union soldiers]].]]
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-8Lu7MRjQs&feature=related The final scene of the movie]], with Amsterdam saying [[spoiler:how life in the city would go on despite the carnage of the Draft Riots. This is followed by a time-lapse of the New York skyline from the 1800s up to the present day]], set to {{U2}}'s epic [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The Hands That Built America]]

* [[DracoInLeatherPants Draco In A]] [[NiceHat Pimping Top-Hat]]: Bill Cutting.