Urban
America
Chapter 10 Section 4
Guide to Reading
Main Idea
The pressing problems of the urban poor in the late
1800s and the early 1900s eventually stimulated
attempts to reform industrial society.
Key Terms and Names
• Henry George
• Jane Addams
• Lester Frank Ward
• settlement house
• Edward Bellamy
• Americanization
• naturalism
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Social Criticism
• Changes in industrialization and
urbanization led to debates among
Americans over the issue of how to
handle society’s problems.
• In 1879 journalist Henry George wrote
a best-selling book called Progress
and Poverty.
• It raised questions about American
society and challenged the ideas of
Social Darwinism and laissez-faire
economics.
(pages 353–355)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Social Criticism (cont.)
• In 1883 Lester Frank Ward’s
Dynamic Sociology argued that humans
were unlike animals because they could
think and plan ahead.
• He concluded that it was cooperation
and not competition that caused people
to succeed.
• He wanted government to become more
involved in solving societal problems.
• These ideas became known as Reform
Darwinism.
(pages 353–355)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Social Criticism (cont.)
• In 1888 Edward Bellamy’s Looking
Backward 2000–1887 became a
bestseller and helped shape the thinking
of American reformers in the late 1800s.
• The book tells the story of a perfect
society in the year 2000.
(pages 353–355)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Social Criticism (cont.)
What was the real importance of Henry
George and his writings?
George raised questions about American
society and challenged the ideas of Social
Darwinism and laissez-faire economics.
(pages 353–355)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Naturalism in Literature
• Realists argued that people could control
their lives and make choices to improve
their situation.
• In a style of writing known as naturalism,
writers criticized industrial society.
• They suggested that some people failed
in life due to circumstances they could
not control.
(page 355)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Naturalism in Literature (cont.)
• Prominent naturalist writers included
Stephan Crane, Frank Norris, Jack
London, and Theodore Dreiser.
• All wrote stories of characters caught
up in situations they could not control.
(page 355)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Naturalism in Literature (cont.)
What did Jack London’s tales of Alaskan
wilderness illustrate?
They demonstrated the extreme power
that the natural environment can have
over civilization.
(page 355)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Helping the Urban Poor
• Reformers began to organize to help
the poor.
• Organizations such as the Social Gospel
movement, Salvation Army, YMCA,
women’s clubs, settlement houses, and
temperance movements formed to help
the needy.
• Minister Washington Gladden was an
early supporter of the Social Gospel
movement.
• He wanted to apply “Christian Law” to
social problems.
(pages 355–357)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Helping the Urban Poor (cont.)
• From 1870 to 1920, members of the
Social Gospel group worked to better
conditions in cities through charity
and justice.
• Baptist minister Walter Rauschenbusch
later led the movement.
• He believed that competition was the
cause of many social problems.
• This led to many churches taking on
community functions to improve society
by offering gyms, social programs, and
daycare.
(pages 355–357)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Helping the Urban Poor (cont.)
• In 1878 the Salvation Army offered aid
and religious counseling to urban poor.
• The YMCA attempted to help industrial
workers and urban poor through Bible
studies, prayer meetings, citizenship
training, and group activities.
• They had facilities that offered
libraries, gyms, pools, and low-cost
hotel rooms.
(pages 355–357)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Helping the Urban Poor (cont.)
• Dwight L. Moody was an evangelical
Christian and president of the
Chicago YMCA.
• He founded his own church, today known
as Moody Memorial Church.
• By 1867 Moody was so popular that he
brought his revival meetings to other
cities.
• He was against Social Gospel and Social
Darwinism.
(pages 355–357)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Helping the Urban Poor (cont.)
• He felt the way to help the poor was
by redeeming their souls and not by
providing them with services.
• The settlement house movement was
promoted by reformers who felt it was
their Christian duty to improve the
living conditions of the poor.
• Jane Addams set up settlement
houses in poor neighborhoods.
(pages 355–357)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Helping the Urban Poor (cont.)
• Addams opened Hull House in 1889
and inspired many others, including
Lillian Wald’s Henry Street settlement
house in New York City.
• Medical care, recreation programs,
and English classes were provided
at settlement houses.
(pages 355–357)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Helping the Urban Poor (cont.)
How did Jane Addams and Lillian Wald
help the poor?
They set up settlement houses that
provided poor residents a place to go for
medical care, recreation, English classes,
and hot lunches.
(pages 355–357)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Public Education
• In the late 1880s, the increase of industry
resulted in a need for better-trained
workers.
• As a result, there was a need for more
school and colleges.
• Americanization, or becoming
knowledgeable about American culture,
was key to the success of immigrant
children.
(pages 357–358)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Public Education (cont.)
• Due to the lack of educational
opportunities for African Americans,
Booker T. Washington led the crusade
to form the Tuskegee Institute in
Alabama in 1881.
• The grammar school system in the city
divided students into eight separate
grades to help teach successful habits
in the workplace.
(pages 357–358)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Public Education (cont.)
• The number of colleges greatly increased
in the late 1800s.
• This was partly a result of the Morrill
Land Grant Act, which gave federal
land grants to states for the purposes
of establishing agricultural and
mechanical colleges.
• College attendance increased.
• The number of women’s colleges
also increased.
(pages 357–358)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Public Education (cont.)
• Free libraries provided education to
city dwellers.
• Andrew Carnegie donated millions
toward the construction of libraries.
(pages 357–358)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Public Education (cont.)
In what way did public schools pose
a problem for immigrants?
Parents were afraid their children would
become too Americanized and forget
their culture and traditions.
(pages 357–358)
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Checking for Understanding
Define Match the terms on the right with their definitions on
the left.
C 1. causing someone to acquire
__
A. naturalism
American traits and
B. settlement
characteristics
house
__
A 2. a philosophy and approach to art
and literature based on the belief C. Americanization
that nature can be understood
through scientific observation
and that society functions best
with some governmental
regulation
__
B 3. institution located in a poor
neighborhood that provided
numerous community services
such as medical care, child care,
libraries, and classes in English
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answers.
Checking for Understanding (cont.)
Describe the way naturalist writers
portrayed the fictional characters in their
novels.
Naturalist writers portrayed their
characters as people who failed in life
because they were caught up in
circumstances beyond their control.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Reviewing Themes
Individual Action How did the efforts
of Jane Addams and Mary Brewster
help poor people in urban areas in the
late 1800s?
Their efforts helped to provide medical
care, recreation, English classes, and
meals.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Critical Thinking
Analyzing What role do you think the
government should play in the economy?
Give reasons to support your opinion.
Answers will vary.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Analyzing Visuals
Analyzing Graphs Examine the graphs
on page 354 of your textbook, and then
develop a quiz with questions based on
specific information found in the graphs.
Include at least one broad question
about a pattern you see. Give the quiz
to some of your classmates.
Quizzes will vary.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Close
Pose and answer questions about the
methods that social critics advocated
to improve society.