The Urban World
The Changing City
• By the late 1800’s,
advances in technology
and an influx of
immigrants began to
transform urban
centers.
• Cities could only grow
“out” so much so as a
result cities needed to
grow “up”.
Skyscrapers
• Skyscrapers became a
reality because of 2 key
technological advances:
– Bessemer process
– The mechanized
elevator, invented by
Elisha Otis
Cities Expand Further
• The development of
mass transit made it
possible for cities to
expand further
outward.
– Frank J. Sprague
developed one of the
first mass transit systems
The Birth of Suburbs
• By 1895, the nation
boasted over 10,000
miles of electric
railways.
• The implementation of
the electric car allowed
for the expansion
beyond the city limits,
which became known
as the suburbs
Different Classes Emerge
Do you think it is necessary
to have a class system in
America? Why or why not?
The Upper Class
• The new class of
wealthy city-dwellers,
like Rockefeller and
Carnegie, which
emerged in the late
1800’s were known as
the nouveau riche,
which meant the
“newly rich”.
The Upper Class
• This class of people
looked to display their
wealth to the rest of
society by spending
their wealth.
• This behavior was
known as conspicuous
consumption.
The Upper Class
• To answer this criticism,
many of the nouveau
riche donated a portion
of their immense
wealth to art galleries,
libraries, museums,
universities, etc.
• this donating of riches is
known as philanthropy
The Upper Class
• The upper class was
also concerned with
displaying proper social
behavior, known as
Victorian culture.
The Middle Class
• A new middle class
emerged in American
cities which consisted of
accountants, clerks,
engineers, managers,
and salespeople.
• this new middle class
was a result of the new
industries and
corporations that began
during the late 1800’s.
The Middle Class
• Although corporations
created positions for
women, like salesclerks
and secretaries, most
middle class women
worked in the home.
The Poor and the Push to Reform
• The poor were mostly
immigrants who had
little money and were
forced to live in
tenements.
The Poor and the Push to Reform
• Since the government
was not stepping in to
help the poor, some
reformers established
settlement houses,
which were community
service centers located
in poor neighborhoods.
The Poor and the Push to Reform
• Settlement houses
offered many
advantages to the lower
class:
– educational
opportunities
– skills training
– cultural events
The Poor and the Push to Reform
• Jane Addams was one
of the major leaders of
the settlement house
movement.
• Addams started Hull
House in Chicago to
help supply immigrants
an opportunity to
advance in society.
The Poor and the Push to Reform
• In the late 1800’s,
Protestant ministers
attempted to address the
conditions of the poor by
developing the idea of
the Social Gospel.
• The Social Gospel called
for people to apply
Christian principles to
address social problems.