Section 3: Daily Life in Cities

Education Few children had access to education. More and more states used compulsory education laws requiring parents to send children to school. John Dewey believed that schools should teach more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. Others wanted to stress behavior, civic loyalty, and American culture values. They hoped that this would help keep order in the cities.

John Dewey

Education…continued Schools were segregated. African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics were poorly equipped. However, women were being educated. Colleges were popping up during this period; however, they were only available to the wealthy.

Publishing Literacy lead to a surge in print media. Newspapers became the primary source of information. A new kind of paper allowed publishers to print a huge volume of newspapers. Newspapers competed for readers. Joseph Pulitzer’s World, William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal Had comic strips, advice columns, sports and women’s sections.

Literature Dime and nickel novels Erastus Beadle- Deadly Eye, Spitfire Saul, the King and the Rustlers. Edith Wharton- The House of Mirth William Dean Howell- Rise of Silas Lapham The most successful were those that focused on Christian principals. Charles Sheldon: In His Steps (WWJD)

Leisure in Urban Parks Leisure activities provided relief from busy city life. Frederick Olmstead designed Central Park in NYC. He wanted to make a rural setting in the city. City Beautiful Movement: stressed the importance of including public parks and attractive boulevards in the design of cities. Riding bikes and playing croquet became popular.

Central Park

Baseball evolved from the British game called rounders and first became popular during the Civil War with clubs like the New York Knickerbockers. Aaron Champion organized the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. William Hulbert established the National League in 1876. First World Series was held between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Pilgrims or Red Sox. The “national game of the United States.” African Americans were not allowed to play.

1869 Red Sox

Football Developed in the late 1800s on the college campuses of upper-class New England schools. Walter Camp established many of its rules. Many objected to its violent nature; Congress considered outlawing it. They changed some rules.

Walter Camp

Basketball First played by students. James Naismith, a P.E. teacher in Massachusetts, attempted to find a sport to that could entertain a group of unruly students during the winter. One of the few sports that women were welcome.

James Naismith

Entertainment Theater William Shakespeare's plays Edwin Booth was a very famous actor. Vaudeville: the French word for “light play”, was a type of variety show that featured a wide selection of short performances. Animal acts, comics, famous impersonations, jugglers, magicians, singers, and skits.

Edwin Booth

Ragtime A new form of music created by African American musicians. It varied radically from the traditional Victorian waltzes and marches popular earlier that century. Ragtime pianists played a stomping or driving rhythm. Scott Joplin was the King of Ragtime. “Maple Leaf Rag” Ragtime songs were known as “rags.”