Chapter 18 NotesThe Urbanization of AmericaThe Life of the CityUrban population // In span of 50 years increased 7x after Civil WarBy 1920 // Majority of population lived in urban areas Why? Natural growth, immigrants and people in rural areas came because of better paying jobs, cultural experiences, and transportation was much easierMigrationsLate 19th century // Geographic mobility American went to new farmlands in West and cities in EastWomen moved from farms to cities bc mechanization decreased their valueSouthern blacks moved to cities to escape poverty, oppression, and violenceLargest source of urban growth: immigrants Until 1880s // mainly educated northern Europeans who were sometimes skilled laborers or businessmen moved West to start farmsThe Ethnic City Amount and diversity of immigrants tremendousNo majority group Most immigrants came from rural areas so they formed close-knit ethnic communities Eased transition by offering native newspapers, food, and links to the national postAssimilation of ethnic groups into capitalist economy depended on values of community & prejudices of employers AssimilationMost immigrants had desire to become Americans and break ties with old national waysStrain on women adjust to more fluid life of the American citiesExclusionImmigrant arrival aroused fear and resentment out of native born people1887 // American Protective Association founded by Henry BowersImmigrant Restriction League sought to reduce immigrants1882 // Chinese Exclusion Act passed by Congress Denied entry to all undesirables and placed small tax on immigrantsNew laws kept few out of AmericaLiteracy requirement vetoed by president Grover Cleveland The Urban LandscapeThe Creation of Public Spacemid 19th century // Reformer and planners began to call for ordered vision of city resulted in creation of public spaces and services Urban parks were a solution to congestion Allowed escape from urban life 1850s // Central Park planned by Frederick Olmsted and Calvert VauxGreat public buildings (ex. Libraries, museums, theaters, etc) encouraged by wealthy residents who wanted services to match material & social aspirations City Beautiful Movement inspired by Daniel Burnham was a massive city rebuilding projectProvide order and symmetry to disorderly life of the city Housing the Well-to-DoLate 19th century // Availability of cheap labor & materials lowered cost of buildingMost wealthy lived in mansionsModerately well-to-do and wealthy both began to build and commute from communities nearbyHousing Workers and the PoorLandlords tried to get the most people in the smallest amount of spaceMost residents forced to stay in city and rent tenements overcrowded slum dwellingsHow the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis showcased rough tenementUrban Transportation Old, dirty streets insufficient to deal with urban growth & need for people to move everyday to different parts of a city New forms of transit needed!! By 1895 // Electric trolley lines 1897 // Boston opened first subway in the nationThe Skyscraper Inadequate structural materials and stairs prevented tall building until 1870s iron and steel beam development After Civil War building grew taller Term introduced in the 1890s Steel construction allowed cities with limited space to expand upward if they werent able to expand outward Strains of Urban LifeFire and DiseaseFires destroyed large parts of downtown areas with building mainly made of woodGreat fires led to fireproof buildings and professional fire departmentsDiseases from poor neighborhoods with inadequate sanitation and sewage disposal threatened epidemics possibility to spread throughout whole cityEnvironmental DegradationRapid urbanization led to improper disposal of human and industrial waste Threatened waterways and drinking waterAir quality suffered from burning of stoves and furnacesBy early 20th century // Reformers sought new sewage and drainage systemsAlive Hamilton looked to correct pollution in the workplace1912 // Federal government created Public Health Service Came up with factory health standards to prevent occupational diseasesUrban PovertyExpansion of city created more povertyNumber of people = many unable to earn decent living Public agencies offered limited relief but usually only to the poorest Some groups focused on religious revivalism as reliefCrime and ViolencePoverty and overcrowding created violence and crimeMurder rate rose nationwide Rising crime rates prompted cities to create larger and more professional police forcesArmories developed because of fear of urban insurrectionThe Machine and the BossNewly arrived immigrants sought assistance from political machinesUrban bosses sought votes for their organization by winning loyalty of voters through relief, jobs for unemployed, and patronageMachines enriched politicians because of corruption from contractors or investment from inside knowledgeEx. William Tweed (NY Tammany Hall during 1860s and 1870s)The Rise of Mass ConsumptionPatterns of Income and ConsumptionGrowing markets and demand turn of century because of production and mass distribution made goods less expensiveRising incomes of white collar professionals and working class people despite union failuresFood transformed by tin cans, refrigerated cars for perishables, and home iceboxes Better diet and higher life expectancyChain Stores and Mail-Order HousesLocal stores faced competition from chain stores National network could sell manufactured goods and lower pricesCustomers couldnt resist great variety and lower prices of chain storesChain stores slow to rural areas but gained access through mail-order houses Ex. 1880s Montgomery war and Sears Roebuck mail order cataloguesDepartment StoresTransformed shopping by bringing together many products under one roof Previously in separate shops but now all in same placeWomen as ConsumersAffected women greatest because women were the primary consumers of the familySpawned consumer protection movement with National Consumers League in the 1890sLeisure in the Consumer SocietyRedefining LeisureRedefined in late 19th century because economic expansion and greater worker time away from work Leisure began to be a normal part of everyday life The Theory of Prosperity & The New Basis of Civilization by Simon Pattern Spectator SportsSearch for public forms of leisure led to rise of organized spectator sportsRise of baseball as national pastime & leagues were formed in the 1870s Football standardized in 1870s and began to grow Boxing grew in 1880s Had close association with gambling Music and TheaterLarge market of cities allowed theaters to be maintained in ethnic communities Musical comedies development The Movies1880s // projectors allowed showing on big screen in theaters with large audiences 1900 // Moves very popular especially after DW Griffith introduced silent epicsWorking-Class LeisureGreat amount spent on the street Lots of time but little moneyNeighborhood salons also popular The Fourth of JulyBecame full day of leisure and important highlight in the year of ethnic, working-class communities Massive celebrations which often included drinkingPrivate PursuitsReading remained popular as leisure activityEx. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1869) became very popularLearning instrument within home was as popular as public music performances Mass CommunicationsLarge urban market for transmitting news and information in urban industrial societyRise of publishing in journalism after Civil war with increase in newspaper circulationHigh Culture in the Age of the CityThe Literature of Urban AmericaSome writers responded to new industrial civilization by evoking more natural worldOthers wanted to use literature to recreate urban social realityStephen Crane led movement of realism (The Red Badge of Courage) and showed urban poverty and slum lifeTheodore Dreiser highlighted social dislocations and injusticesFrank Norris & Upton SinclairShowed depravity of capitalism by exposing abuses in meatpacking industryArt in the Age of the City1900 // many American artists breaking from old World traditions to new stylesAshcan School produced stark portrayal of social realities & showcased realism The Impact of Darwinism Argues evolution from earlier species through natural selection, challenged traditional American religious faith. By end of century most urban professionals and members of educated classes converted to teach in high schoolsLed to break between culture of city receptive to new ideas and the traditional provincial culture of rural areas tied to religion and older valuesRelativism spawned by Darwinism led to growth of anthropology and study of other culturesToward Universal SchoolingDependence of specialized skills and scientific knowledge led to demand for educationRichard Pratt targeted native tribes to civilize them an urged practical industrial educationMorrill Land Grant Act of Civil war donated large amounts of land for collegesEducation for WomenExpansion of educational opportunities for women (still way behind men though)Public high schools accepted women & network of womens colleges emerged