TOWARD AN URBAN SOCIETY, 1877-1900America: Past and PresentChapter 19

The Lure of the CityCity becomes a symbol of the new America between 1870-1900Explosive urban growthsources included immigration, movement from countrysidesix cities over 500,000 by 1900

Skyscrapers and SuburbsSteel permits construction of skyscrapersStreetcars allow growth of suburbsTwo defining characteristics of American city

Tenements and the Problems of OvercrowdingTenements house urban dwellersTenement problemsinadequate sanitationpoor ventilationpolluted water Urban problemspoor public healthjuvenile crime

Strangers in a New LandBy 1900 most urban dwellers foreign-born or children of immigrants1880s--eastern, southern European immigrants prompt resurgent NativismNativist organizations try to limit immigration

Immigration to the United States, 1870-1900

Foreign-born Population, 1890

Immigrants and the City:Families and Ethnic IdentityImmigrants marry within own ethnic groupsMore children born to immigrants than to native-born Americans

Immigrants and the City:InstitutionsImmigrant associations preserve old country language and customs aid the process of adjustmentImmigrant establish religious, educational institutions, media which preserve traditions

The House That Tweed BuiltUrban party machines headed by bossessome bosses notoriously corrupt, e.g. William Tweed of New York Citymost trade services for votes Most bosses improve conditions in cities

Social and Cultural Change 1877-1900End of Reconstruction marks shift of attention to new concernsPopulation growth1877--47 million1900--76 million1900 population more diverseUrbanization, industrialization changing all aspects of American life

Urban and Rural Population, 1870-1900 (in millions)

Manners and MoresVictorian morality dictates dress, mannersProtestant religious values strong Reform underpinned by Protestantism

Leisure and EntertainmentDomestic leisure--card, parlor, yard gamesSentimental ballads, ragtime popularEntertainment outside homecircus immensely popularbaseball, football, basketball Street lights, streetcars make evening a time for entertainment and pleasure

Changes in Family LifeUrbanization, industrialization alter family Family life virtually disappears among poorly-paid working classSuburban commute takes fathers from middle-class homesTensions for womendomesticity encouragedidentity as mere housewife almost shameful

Changing Views: A Growing Assertiveness among Women"New women"--self-supporting careersDemand an end to gender discriminationSpeak openly about once-forbidden topics

Educating the MassesFew students reach the sixth gradeTeaching unimaginative, learning passiveSegregation, poverty compound problems of Southern education1896Plessy v. Ferguson allows "separate but equal" schools

Higher EducationColleges and universities flourishGreater emphasis on professions, researchMore women achieve college education

Higher Education: African Americans African Americans usually confined to all-black institutions like Tuskegee Institute in AlabamaBooker T. Washington--accommodate racism, concentrate on practical educationW.E.B. DuBois--demand quality, integrated education

The Stirrings of ReformSocial Darwinists see attempts at social reform as useless and harmfulReformers begin to seek changes in U.S. living, working conditions

Progress and PovertyHenry George: the rich getting richer, the poor, poorerGeorges solution: tax land, wealths source

New Currents in Social ThoughtClarence Darrow rejects Social Darwinism, argues poverty at crimes rootRichard T. Elys New Economics urges government intervention in economic affairsLiberal Protestants preach "Social Gospel" purpose: reform industrial society means: introduce Christian standards into economic sphere

The Settlement HousesFamous Houses1886--Stanton Coits Neighborhood Guild, New York 1889--Jane Addams' Hull House, Chicago1892--Robert A. Woods South End House, Boston1893--Lillian Walds Henry Street Settlement, New YorkCharacteristicsmany workers womenclassical, practical education for poorstudy social composition of neighborhood

A Crisis in Social WelfareDepression of 1893 reveals insufficiency of private charity New professionalism in social workNew efforts to understand povertys sourcesIncreasing calls for government interventionSocial tensions engender sense of crisis