THE GROWTH OF CITIES

1890-1920

URBANIZATION: RAPID CITY GROWTH

A.ATTRACTIONS OF CITY LIFE:1. JOBS - MANY DIFFERENT JOBS AVAILABLE

ESPECIALLY IN FACTORIES2. PUBLIC SERVICES:

a. Transportationb. Streetcarsc. Subwaysd. Bridgese. Skyscrapers f. Elevators (all of the above created jobs.)

3. education: a. Public education 1865-1900 - a. Enrollment doubled

b. Teachers better trainedc. Vocational education

added after 1900b. Librariesc. Museumsd. Concert hallse. Etc.

CARNEGIE HALL - 1891

4. Cultural Attractions:a. Restaurantsb. Theatersc. Baseball parksd. Racetracksbeaches

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 streetsb. Water was polluted from all the garbagec. Attracted rats and germsd. Many water born diseases presente. Air pollution from factories

3. Crime: a. A great deal of violent crime in poorer neighborhoodsb. Police force did exist but could not keepup with the rising populationc. Many gangs related to ethnic groups or occupationsd. Poverty encouraged crimee. Slums developed

4. Hospitals - existed but were only affordable to the wealthy.

George E. Waring, Jr. Was an AmericanSanitary 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 1890b. Western frontier wide openc. Most from Northern and Western

Europeancountries.

2. “New Immgrants” - 1890-1920a. Arrived after 1890b. Settled in urban centers: formed ethnic ghetto neighborhoodsc. Western frontier closedd. Most from Southern and Eastern

European countries.e. Fled economic depravation and religious persecution

3. Examples of contributions:a. Building transportation systems -

1. Chinese2. Italians3. Irish4. Slavs

b. Mining – 1. Welsh2. Poles3. Slavs

c. Textiles -1. English2. 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 landb. Recruitment conditions - some

industries went abroad to attract workers to come to the U.S. inreturn for free passage

c. Economic conditions – job opportunitiesd. Persecution - religious - Jewish

F. Nativist reaction to the “new immigrants”

1. Opposition:a. Economic reasons – competition for jobsb. 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 formxenophobia - fear of foreignersd. Political reasons – fear that immigrants might be connected with radical and revo-lutionary causes (Russian Revolution)