THE GROWTH OF CITIES
1890-1920
URBANIZATION: RAPID CITY GROWTH
A. ATTRACTIONS OF CITY LIFE:
1. JOBS - MANY DIFFERENT JOBS AVAILABLE
ESPECIALLY IN FACTORIES
2. PUBLIC SERVICES:
a. Transportation
b. Streetcars
c. Subways
d. Bridges
e. Skyscrapers
f. Elevators
(all of the above created jobs.)
3. education:
a. Public education
1865-1900 - a. Enrollment doubled
b. Teachers better trained
c. Vocational education
added after 1900
b. Libraries
c. Museums
d. Concert halls
e. Etc.
CARNEGIE HALL - 1891
4. Cultural Attractions:
a. Restaurants
b. Theaters
c. Baseball parks
d. Racetracks
beaches
B. Problems of City Life:
1. overcrowded – tenements – a substandard
multi-family dwelling in the urban core, usually
old and occupied by the poor.
Tenements offered no ventilation which caused health
problems and potential fire hazards. No indoor plumbing,
etc.
2. Sanitation:
a. Garbage placed on streets
b. Water was polluted from all the garbage
c. Attracted rats and germs
d. Many water born diseases present
e. Air pollution from factories
3. Crime:
a. A great deal of violent crime in poorer
neighborhoods
b. Police force did exist but could not keep
up with the rising population
c. Many gangs related to ethnic groups or
occupations
d. Poverty encouraged crime
e. Slums developed
4. Hospitals - existed but were only affordable to the
wealthy.
George E. Waring, Jr. Was an American
Sanitary engineer and civic reformer.
He designed and advocated a sewer
system that kept domestic sewage
Separate from storm runoff.
He also appointed to be the
agricultural and drainage engineer for
the construction of Central Park.
Teddy Roosevelt - 1895-1897
Raymond Kelly – current commissioner
C. Impact of urbanization on families: sharp
division among classes.
1. Working class – everyone worked, came
home only to sleep, and were in low paying jobs.
Blue collar workers.
2. Middle class - shopkeepers, doctors, lawyers,
and teachers – led comfortable lives. Made
enough money to be able to afford to send their
children to school.
White collar workers.
3. Wealthy – conspicuous consumption – display
their wealth so all will notice.
D. Ethnic neighborhoods: people tended to live in the
same neighborhood as their nationality.
Ex. Little Italy, and Chinatown.
E. Immigration:
1. “Old immigrants” - 1776-1890
a. Arrived prior to 1890
b. Western frontier wide open
c. Most from Northern and Western European
countries.
2. “New Immgrants” - 1890-1920
a. Arrived after 1890
b. Settled in urban centers: formed ethnic
ghetto neighborhoods
c. Western frontier closed
d. Most from Southern and Eastern European
countries.
e. Fled economic depravation and religious
persecution
3. Examples of contributions:
a. Building transportation systems 1. Chinese
2. Italians
3. Irish
4. Slavs
b. Mining –
1. Welsh
2. Poles
3. Slavs
c. Textiles 1. English
2. Jews
d. Optical Equipment 1. Germans
e. Chemical industry 1. French
f. Stone masons – sculptors
1. Italians
4. Reasons for Immigration:
a. Population pressures - were attracted
to the abundance of land
b. Recruitment conditions - some
industries went abroad to attract
workers to come to the U.S. in
return for free passage
c. Economic conditions – job opportunities
d. Persecution - religious - Jewish
F. Nativist reaction to the “new immigrants”
1. Opposition:
a. Economic reasons – competition for jobs
b. Cultural reasons - dominant culture wants
to protect their culture against outside or
“foreign influences”
c. Psychological reasons – need to feel
superior to others – often takes a racist or
nationalist form
xenophobia - fear of foreigners
d. Political reasons – fear that immigrants
might be connected with radical and revolutionary causes (Russian Revolution)