Beginning eight days after the first shots of the American Civil War were fired and three days before his wedding, William Steinway's diary bears witness to one of the most dynamic periods in American history. The breadth and depth of material covered sheds light on thousands of people, places, and events as seen through the eyes of this key figure in the cultural, political, financial, and physical development of New York City. Later installments of the site will include more than 30,000 interlinked topics, including: