Music Ragtime Created by African American musicians in the 1890s. Scott Joplin “King of Ragtime” 1899, “Maple Leaf Rag” was a hit selling hundreds of thousands of copies. Inspired new dances like the Cakewalk Led to Blues and later Rock n Roll

Entertainment Theater Attracted wealthy audience Edwin Booth popular Shakespearean actor 1860s – 1870s. Cost up to $125 in 1869 Movies First - 1903 The Great Train Robbery Shown in 5 cent “Nickelodeons” Nickel+odeon (small theater in Greek)

Vaudeville (French for “light play”) Working class preferred melodramatic shows Featured short performances like animal acts, juggling, comics, singers etc http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/vshtml/vsfmlst.html

Entertainment Amusement Parks Often built outside of town by trolley companies to attract passengers. Coney Island, 1884. It had an early roller coaster World Exposition, Chicago - the first Ferris wheel Cost 10 cents

The Circus P.T. Barnum and Bailey in 1871 Traveled from town to town

Sports Tennis - Originated in U.K. 1880s first tennis court in NYC Basketball Invented by James Naismith, Springfield Mass. in 1891. One of few sports in which women were encouraged

Boxing Profitable business. Those that couldn’t pay to watch, gathered to get reports from the telegraph

Sports Football Developed in late 1800s at college campuses in New England Congress banned it because of violence, but rule changes made it less dangerous.

Sports Baseball Mid 1800s - Based on British game “rounders” 1869, Aaron Champion organized first pro (paid) team - Cincinnati Red Stockings National League, 1876 American League, 1900 1903 first World Series – Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox; Pirates won African Americans excluded from league and had to start their own

Outdoor Activities Parks Used as a space to relax / escape crowded city 1857, Frederick Law Olmsted designed Central Park in NYC 2.5 miles 30,000 a day visited “City Beautiful Movement” – stressed the importance of parks and attractive streets in cities Parks cause outdoor activities like biking and croquet to be popular

City Beautiful The City Beautiful Movement inspired urban beautification in architecture, landscaping and city planning in the United States from the 1890s through the 1920s. The City Beautiful ideology also emphasized tourism.

Sledding in Central Park 1914

Central Park http://www.1776mag.com/20-historic-photos-of-new-york-city/

The Mall, Central Park. Around 1905.

Outdoor Activities Bicycles First bicycles had a large front wheel and solid tires 1885 “safety bicycle” with smaller tires / air filled tires; very popular with women. By 1890, 10 million per year

Bicycles First bicycles had a large front wheel and solid tires 1885 “safety bicycle” with smaller tires / air filled tires; very popular with women. By 1890, 10 million per year