Chapter 6Section 2

Urbanization

Make a list of reasons why people would

move to the BIG city.

American Cities

• In the United States 20 years before the Civil War, there were only 131 cities.

• However, the number jumped to 1,700 around the turn of the century.

Big Cities – Urban Environments

• NYC went from 800,000 people in 1860 to 3.5 million by 1900.

Big Cities – Urban Environments

• Immigrants moved to the big cities because they had no money to buy farm land and education to get a high paying job.

• Farmers in the US moved to the big cities to get better paying jobs.

Why move to the BIG city

• Higher wages

• Bright lights

• Running water

• Modern plumbing

• Attractions – Museums– Libraries – Theaters

Skyscrapers

• As the population grew, the demand and rising price for land increased.

• Builders began building up with tall, steel frame buildings called skyscrapers.

Louis Sullivan

• American architect who has been called the "father of skyscrapers“.

Transportation in the Big Cities

• 1st form of public transportation – Horsecar, – Railroad cars pulled by

horse

• By 1873, San Francisco installed the first cable car system.

Transportation (continued)

• As streets got more crowded, engineers decided to build transit systems off the street.

• Ex. New York City subway system, first subway system in the nation.

Separation of Classes

• High Society – The very rich who built homes like European castles,

chateaus, villas, or pavilions. – Had maids, butlers, and chauffeurs

• Middle-Class Gentility – This class grew during the Industrial revolution. – Included doctors, lawyers, engineers, managers,

social workers, architects, and teachers. – Had at least one live-in servant so the women could

pursue social activities.

Working class

• Lived in tenements or multiple family apartments that were dark and crowded.

• 75% of residents lived in tenements.

Working Class Families Economy

• Native-born, white men earned higher wages than African American men, immigrants, and women.

• Both the men and women worked and in some cases, the children worked as well. – The fact that children were not in school,

alarmed social reformers.

Working Class Families

• If a worker was hurt on the job, they did not get any compensation.

• When older workers could not longer work, they usually moved-in with their children.

Urban Problems

• Threats that were present by city living, especially for the working poor included crime, violence, fire, disease and pollution.

• Additionally in these large cities, alcohol abuse was a big problems.

Crime

• Minor Crime such as pickpockets and thieves boomed.

• Major crime also rose with the murder rate in NYC jumping from 25 murders per million to 100 murders per million in just 20 years.

Alcohol Abuse

• Alcohol was blamed for violent crime.

• Jacob Riis, wrote about how bars lead to breeding poverty and corrupting children by selling beer minors.

Pollution

• Improper sewage disposal lead to an outbreak typhoid fever and chorea.

• Horse poop left in the streets and smoke from chimneys in factories and at home also lead to more pollution

Dirty Politics

• Political machines and party bosses got rich by committing fraud while in office.

• Political Machines – informal political group whose goal is gain and keep their power.

Party Bosses

Recently, Jimmy Dimora, a political leader in Cleveland was convicted for the same type of crimes.

• Party Bosses – people who ran the political machines.

• These party bosses accepted bribes from contractors (people who build roads or buildings), who were supposed to complete fairly to win contracts.

Tammany Hall

• Most famous political machine.

• Democratic political Machine in New York City.

• Controlled police department and most city services.

Tammany Hall

• Ran by William “Boss” Tweed.

• An example of out right fraud by the party bosses included providing necessary services and helped to assimilate the urban masses.