Chapter 18: Industry and Urban Growth Section 3­ Cities Grow and Change Focus Question: What were the causes and effects of the rapid growth of cities in America? I.
Rapid Growth of Cities A. Urbanization 1. For the first time the United States had cities that size of London and Paris, because of the astonishing rate of urbanization. a) In 1860, 1 in 5 Americans were living in cities, 30 years later 1 in 3 Americans were living in cities. b) The reason of this urbanization was simple, cities attracted industry and industry attracted more people. 2. Cities near waterways grew more rapidly because it provided easy transportation of goods. B. Growing Out and Up 1. New technology helped cities grow. 2. Public transportation allowed cities to expand outwards. a) Those that worked in the city did not have to live in the city any longer. 3. Buildings began to move upwards as well,by 1900, steel framed buildings were reaching up to 30 stories and electric elevators that took workers to upper floors. 4. As cities grew living patterns changed. a) Poorer families lived in the older sections of the city, the middle class lived further out, but still in the city and eventually they moved into the suburbs and the wealthy lived on the outskirts of town. II.
Problems of Urban Life A. Rapid urbanization brought problems, including fire. 1. In 1871, the Chicago Fire leveled 3 square miles of downtown, killing 300 people and leaving 18,000 people homeless. B. Tenement Life 1. People would crowd into tenements, several families would live in one tenement and share one bathroom. 2. Slum street were littered with garbage and disease spread quickly. C. Improving City Life 1. In the 1880’s city life began to improve with the insulation of streetlights, fire and police stations and public health officials tried to clean up the streets. 2. Religious groups also contributed to improving the cities by establishing hospitals, clinics and homeless shelters. D. Settlement Houses 1. Settlement houses were established to help the poor, many of these houses were founded by women. a) The Hull House was one of the most famous settlement houses which was started in 1889 by Jane Addams. b) Immigrants could learn English, sponsored music and sport for the youth and childcare for working mothers. Chapter 18: Industry and Urban Growth III.
The Excitement of City Life A. Cities had much more to offer than the country did. B. Department Stores 1. The department store was developed store was developed as the demand for ready to wear goods was increasing. 2. Department stores offered multiple types of goods in one place. C. Leisure Activities 1. With long hours at work individuals began to value their free time more. 2. Cities provided numerous forms of entertainment, including museums, orchestras, art galleries, theater, circuses, parks, zoos and gardens. D. Sports 1. Organized professional sports did not come about until after the Civil War, baseball being one of the most popular sports. 2. The first professional baseball team was the Cincinnati Red Stockings. 3. In 1891, James Naismith developed the sport of basketball in Springfield Massachusetts. 4. Football was also popular, but was widely considered a violent and brutal game.