THE GROWTH OF CITIES

1
THE GROWTH OF CITIES

• 1890-1920

2

• URBANIZATION RAPID CITY GROWTH
• ATTRACTIONS OF CITY LIFE
• 1. JOBS - MANY DIFFERENT JOBS AVAILABLE
  ESPECIALLY IN FACTORIES
• 2. PUBLIC SERVICES
• a. Transportation
• b. Streetcars
• c. Subways
• d. Bridges
• e. Skyscrapers
• f. Elevators
• (all of the above created jobs.)

3
3. education a. Public education
1865-1900 - a. Enrollment doubled b.
Teachers better trained c. Vocational
education added after 1900 b.
Libraries c. Museums d. Concert
halls e. Etc.
CARNEGIE HALL - 1891
4
4. Cultural Attractions a. Restaurants b.
Theaters c. Baseball parks d.
Racetracks beaches
5

• 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.
6
2. Sanitation a. Garbage placed on
streets b. Water was polluted from all the
garbage c. Attracted rats and germs d. Many
water born diseases present e. Air pollution
from factories 3. Crime a. A great deal of
violent crime in poorer neighborhoods b.
Police force did exist but could not keep up
with the rising population c. Many gangs
related to ethnic groups or occupations d.
Poverty encouraged crime e. Slums developed
7
4. Hospitals - existed but were only affordable
to the wealthy.
8
George E. Waring, Jr. Was an American Sanitary
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.
9
Teddy Roosevelt - 1895-1897
Raymond Kelly current commissioner
10

• 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.

11

• Ethnic neighborhoods people tended to live in
  the same neighborhood as their nationality.
• Ex. Little Italy, and Chinatown.

12

• Immigration
• 1. Old immigrants - 1776-1890
• a. Arrived prior to 1890
• b. Western frontier wide open
• c. Most from Northern and Western European
• countries.
• 2. New Immgrants - 1890-1920
• a. Arrived after 1890
• b. Settled in urban centers formed ethnic
• ghetto neighborhoods
• c. Western frontier closed
• d. Most from Southern and Eastern European
• countries.
• e. Fled economic depravation and religious
• persecution

13
3. Examples of contributions a. Building
transportation systems - 1. Chinese 2.
Italians 3. Irish 4. Slavs b. Mining
1. Welsh 2. Poles 3. Slavs c.
Textiles - 1. English 2. Jews d.
Optical Equipment - 1. Germans
14
e. Chemical industry - 1. French f.
Stone masons sculptors 1. Italians
4. Reasons for Immigration a. Population
pressures - were attracted to the abundance
of land b. Recruitment conditions - some
industries went abroad to attract workers
to come to the U.S. in return for free
passage c. Economic conditions job
opportunities d. Persecution - religious -
Jewish
15

• Nativist reaction to the new immigrants
• 1. Opposition
• a. Economic reasons competition for jobs
• b. 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 form
• xenophobia - fear of foreigners
• d. Political reasons fear that immigrants
• might be connected with radical and revo-
• lutionary causes (Russian Revolution)