Sin Cities, 1870-1910I. Urban context

A. ImmigrantsB. UrbanizationC. Poverty

II. CrimeA. GamblingB. AlcoholC. ProstitutionD. Violence

III. Problems with GovernmentA. CorruptionB. Incapacity

IV. ProgressivismA. RootsB. ValuesC. Broader Goals

V. ResultsA. ReformsB. Resentments

Immigration• 13 M people of

foreign stock in Chicago

• 587,112 foreign born

Nationalities at Duquesne Steel Mill, 1919

Urbanization• Americans living

in city over 10,000 pop. – 1820-- 5%– 1900-- 20%– 1920-- 50%

• Big Cities1870 - 1910– NYC grows

from 1M to 4.7M

– Chicago grows from 298K to 2.1M

PovertyJacob Riis,

How the Other Half Lives (1890)– 1/3 of NYC

took some charity during the previous decade

– In 1889, the city arrested 612 persistent beggars.

Vice• Six million

go to racetracks in 1905; bookies earn $15.5M

• Chicago (1910): 1,000 brothels, 4,000 prostitutes, $60M in annual revenue

Denver Saloon with prostitutes, 1895

Gang Violence

Year Population Murders

1900 1,698,575 1021910 2,185,283

201

• Lee “Stack” Shelton

• William “Billy the Bully” Lyons

Bandit’s Roost, NYC, 1888

Corrupt Governme

nt

• Hinky Dink Kenna

• Bathhouse John Coughlin

Incapacity

• Incompetent justices of the peace

• Overburdened criminal courts

• Antiquated city charters

Chicago police court, 1903

Progressives

Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago 1909

• Professionals

• Women

• Old elite– Ministers

Values

• Moral reform– Whose morals?

• Honest government

• Efficiency

• ScienceWomen’s Christian Temperance Union

The Causes of

Crime

• Immorality• Poverty• Heredity• Bad government

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, 1906

Reforms

• Civil Service• Investigation• New Institutions• New Personnel• Federalization

Alexander “Clubber” Williams

Teddy Roosevelt

Resentments

• “White Slavery”

• Mann Act 1910

• Jack Johnson