Toward An Urban America Section 2 Moving to the City

Growth of Cities By 1910 nearly half of the American population lived in cities. The United States was changing from a rural to an urban nation. Immigrants contributed greatly to the growth of cities. In areas such as New York, Detroit, and Chicago, immigrants and their children made up 80% or more of the population.

Native-born Americans also contributed to the urban growth. Industrialization of America made fewer jobs for farm workers because of machinery. Many women left farms to seek jobs in the cities as well after being freed from many chores by industrialization.

Transportation TRAINS Provided transportation for people moving to the cities Provided transport of raw materials for industry Carried cattle to Chicago and Kansas City, making these cities great meatpacking centers

RESOURCES Iron and steel Pittsburgh developed rapidly as a center for iron and steel manufacturing because iron ore and coal were found in the area Seaports such as New York and San Francisco developed as trade with the rest of the world increased.

Residential living Tenements Originally a tenement was a building in which several families rented rooms. By the late 1800’s a tenement had become an apartment building in the slums—poor, run-down urban neighborhoods

Conditions Tenements cont’d Had many small dark rooms Three or more people lived in each room Few had hot water or bathtubs Many families had to share toilets, some of which were outside

Middle Class Comfort Middle class included the families of professional people such as doctors, lawyers, and ministers. They moved to suburbs- residential areas outside of city centers. They lived in houses with hot water indoor toilets, and by 1900 electricity.

The Gilded Age This class of people were made up of the upper economic and social status people. They built enormous mansions in the cities and huge estates in the country The Gilded Age refers to something covered with a think layer of gold. This was related to the extravagant wealth and terrible poverty that lay underneath it.

Cities in Crisis Rapid city growth caused massive problems. Terrible overcrowding in tenements caused sanitation and health problems. The filth in the streets became a breeding ground for diseases. Poverty led to increased crime as orphans and homeless children tried to survive. Gangs also roamed neighborhoods.

Seeking Solutions Concerned individuals and groups worked to improve conditions. Organizations such as the YMCA and YWCA helped to create recreation centers where city children could meet and play safely

Seeking Solutions Settlement houses were established to provide medical care, playgrounds, nurseries, and libraries as well as classes in English, music and arts and crafts. Settlement workers also tried to get better police protection, garbage removal, and public parks for poor districts.

Jane Addams Jane Addams founded the most famous settlement house in Chicago in 1889.

The Changing City Growing cities called for different types of building and structures to be developed Developers started going up instead of out Industrial developments of iron and steel made it possible to develop a skyscraper

Skyscrapers The first sky scraper was a 10 story building in Chicago. The Woolworth Building later completed in 1913 was an incredible 55 stories– 792 feet tall building

Designs & Transportation Parks began to shape the face of landscape Transportation needs grew…streetcars were replaced with cable car lines in 1873 in San Francisco Trolley cars appeared in Richmond and Boston opened the first underground subway

Bridges American cities were divided or bounded by rivers. Bridges were constructed using steel to link sections of the cities The Eads Bridge crossed the Mississippi River in St. Louis and ten years later the majestic Brooklyn Bridge connected Manhattan and Brooklyn. (Both are still in use today)