Science and Urban Life Mr. White’s US History 1

Big Questions As you learn about this section, think about the following big questions: How did new inventions help the lives of Americans? How do new inventions allow cities to expand outward and upward? What are some unintended effects that inventions can have?

Technology and Urban Life Many cities faced overcrowding problems Immigrants moving into the cities Other people, such as African Americans from the south, moved into the cities as well Cities had to find ways to expand

Expanding Upward - Skyscrapers Before certain innovations, buildings could only be built a few stories up (maybe six or seven) – why? Two inventions will allow buildings to be built taller – which ones?

Skyscrapers Structural steel (1890) – couldn’t build before because the buildings didn’t have strong enough internal skeletons Elevators – it’s not practical for people to climb up many flights of stairs

Expanding Outward – Transportation Before this time period, cities could only be a few miles in diameter – why? One particular invention, powered by electricity, will allow cities to expand outward – which one?

Subways, Streetcars, Trolleys, and El Trains Cities could only grow so far outward because people couldn’t walk more than a few miles from where they lived to where they worked Subways, streetcars, trolleys, and elevated trains allowed people to live further from their work Cities started to expand outward as people lived further from where they worked

City Planning As cities became more crowded and more complex, it became more important to plan them out Frederick Law Olmstead – man who spearheaded the idea of parks in the city as places where people could go to escape the problems of the city Olmstead planned and helped build Central Park in New York City

Central Park Olmstead wanted it to be a sort of rustic place in the city for people to unwind Had boating, tennis, a zoo, and bicycle paths

New Inventions Printing – improved printing methods were developed, and newspapers, etc., became much more available Airplanes – Orville and Wilbur Wright had the first powered flight in history on December 17, 1903 Photography – Development of Kodak camera let regular people take pictures (previously just professionals)

Discussion Questions Name one invention or piece of technology that you see in your life. Then, list as many intended and unintended effects of that technology as you can. Name one invention or piece of technology in your life. What would your life be like without it? Could you live without if you needed to do so?