The Dawn of Mass Culture

Ch.8 section 4

American LeisureAmusement Parks

◦Amusement parks were constructed on the outskirts of cities Coney Island opened in 1884 with a roller coaster Chicago offered the first Ferris wheel in 1893

Bicycling◦Cycling began as a male only sport◦Eventually cycling changed women’s clothing and

allowed them to get away from male chaperones◦By 1890 more than 10 million bikes were made every

yearTennis

◦Modern version originated in Wales in 1873◦By the 1890s tennis was a popular sport

American LeisureSpectator Sports

◦Boxing and baseball◦Began informally◦Those who couldn’t attend listened on the radio

Baseball◦Alexander J. Cartwright set down formal rules in

1845◦By 1900, the American and National Leagues had

formed◦Negro National League and Negro American League◦1903 first World Series- Boston Pilgrims beat

Pittsburgh Pirates

Mass Circulation Newspapers

Joseph Pulitzer-New York World◦Sunday edition, comics, sports coverage,

women’s news◦Emphasized “sin, sex, and sensation”

William Randolph Hearst-Morning Journal (NY), and San Francisco Examiner◦Journal filled with stories of scandal, cruelty,

hypnotism, and an imaginary conquest of MarsBy 1898, both the World and Journal sold

over 1 million copies a day

Spread of Mass CulturePromoting Fine Art

◦Ashcan school of American art painted urban life with realism

◦Thomas Eakins and Robert Henri◦Thousands of libraries provided books on any

subjectPopular Fiction

◦Light fiction books sold for 10 cents (dime novels)

◦Successful writers include Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Henry James, Stephen Crane, and Jack London

New Ways to Sell GoodsUrban Shopping

◦Earliest shopping center opened in Cleveland, OhioDepartment Stores

◦Marshall Field of Chicago opened the first department store.

◦He catered to womenChain Stores

◦Sold goods for less by buying in quantity and limiting personal service

Advertising◦$10 million in 1865 to $95 million by 1900

Catalogs and RFD◦ Montgomery Ward and Sears Roebuck produced catalogs so

shopping could be done by mail◦ 1896 USPS introduced rural free delivery that took packages

directly to homes