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Urbanization AIM: How did the rapid urbanization of the Gilded Age affect the lives of Americans?
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I. Urbanization during the Gilded Age
Urbanization is the growth of an urban area (city) as a result of immigration and migration from rural areas. Typically due to industrialization.
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Positive Impact Efficiency – research and recycling, easy to supply – Frederick Taylor Convenience – access to education, social services, health care, etc. Social integration – assimilation of cultures Industry – high-tech factories; stock
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New Technology Elisha Otis creates elevator brakes, making elevators prevalent Modern typewriter – Scholes Telephone – Alexander Grahm Bell Car and motor improvements
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Skyscrapers and Buildings
Term first used in 1880’s – buildings stories and over Combined the newest innovations Boasted steel structure, central heating, electric pumps, lighting, telephone
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Cultural Benefits New middle class sparked rise of consumer culture
Printing cheaper, newspaper prices slashed, paper back books, etc.
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Department stores – consumer culture spread by mass media
Saloon culture – combined music, comedy, culture, specialty acts
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Cultural Benefits Bicycle riding, camping, public parks
Frederick Law Olmsted – designed many parks in Boston, NYC (Central Park) Cheap entrance to museums, amusement parks as more time made available Roller coasters, dancing, music halls all popular forms of entertainment
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Negative Impact Development of slums Unemployment Crime
Poor living conditions Pollution Poor working conditions
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Slums and Tenements Crowded urban areas with substandard housing and poor living conditions Housing can be taken away at any time Scarcity of utilities Overcrowding Low rise houses were divided into family apartments Often too small, lacking ventilation, etc.
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"It is generally a brick building from four to six stories high on the street, frequently with a store on the first floor which, when used for the sale of liquor, has a side opening for the benefit of the inmates and to evade the Sunday law; four families occupy each floor, and a set of rooms consists of one or two dark closets, used as bedrooms, with a living room twelve feet by ten. The staircase is too often a dark well in the centre of the house, and no direct through ventilation is possible, each family being separated from the other by partitions. Frequently the rear of the lot is occupied by another building of three stories high with two families on a floor.“ - Jacob Riis
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Pollution and Health Increase of factories and automobiles
Air pollution leads to respiratory issues Diseases spread fast in tenements (scarlet fever, influenza Contaminated water Epidemics unavoidable and inevitable
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Working Conditions Hazardous and persistent
Fires likely occurences in textile industry: Triangle Shirtwaist Incident of 1911 Life threatening injuries from machines Long hours, low pay No worker benefits (compensation) Child labor prevalent (lower wages, easily managed)
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Puritan Work Ethic Sociologist Max Weber coined the term.
Explains American’s belief in hard work.
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Social Darwinism Theory that the strongest should survive and flourish, and the weak and poor allowed to die – Herbert Spencer Justified exploitative forms of capitalism Horatio Alger Myth: “Rags to Riches” via hard work, labor, good character
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Political Corruption Federal Corruption 1. Whiskey Ring Affair. 2. Credit Mobilier Scandal Local Corruption 1. Political Machines 2. Able to win votes by offering services: giving out jobs, homes, government contracts
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Political Machines
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Tammany Hall Democratic party- William March Tweed
Control NY city politics Combatting Political Corruption!!!!! Pendelton Act – establishes Civil Service
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II. Social Reformers: Opposition to the “Evils” of Industrialism
A. Henry George, Progress and Poverty, 1879 B. Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward, 1888
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C. Jane Adams, Settlement Houses 1892 “Hull House”
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D. Walter Rauschenbusch on the Social Gospel
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