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II Urbanization
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Americans Migrate to the Cities
How do you think life in big cities was different from life on farms and in small towns?
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Americans Migrate to the Cities
After Civil War urban population exploded New York City grew from 800,000 to 3.5 million between Chicago swelled from 109,000 to 1.6 million U.S. only 131 cities with 2,500 or more in 1840; by 1900 there were 1,700
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Americans Migrate to the Cities
Most immigrants as well as rural America moved to the cities Cities offered more and better paying jobs Electricity Modern plumbing entertainment
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Americans Migrate to the Cities
New strategies in urban development Rising land value provided incentive to build up Incentive – something that motivates a person into action Tall steel frame buildings called skyscrapers appear First skyscraper was 10 stories tall
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Americans Migrate to the Cities
Hamilton Disston drained part of the Everglades in Florida Bought 4 million acres of land Set off land boom Formed cities Kissimmee, Gulfport, Saint Petersburg
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Americans Migrate to the Cities
Cities developed mass transit 1890 horse cars move 70% of urban traffic 1873 San Francisco installs cable cars Pulled by underground cables 20 cities follow 1887 Frank J Sprague developed the first electric trolley Chicago built an elevated train New York and Boston build the first subway system
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Americans Migrate to the Cities
What attracted people to cities in the late 1800s?
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Americans migrate to the Cities
The promise of better paying jobs; entertainment and leisure activities; buildings with modern plumbing and electricity
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Separation by Class How did living conditions of the urban working class differ from those of other social classes?
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Separation by Class Upper, middle and working classes lived in separate distinct parts of town Late 1800s wealthiest families established fashionable districts in the heart of the city Homes grew larger
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Separation by Class Wealthy women depended on hired help:
Cooks Maids Butlers Nannies Chauffers' Spent a great deal of money on social events Most new Yorkers lived on $ a year Cornelia Sherman Martin spent $360, on a dance
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Separation by Class American industrialization expanded the middle class Doctors Lawyers Managers Engineers Social workers Architects Teachers
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Separation by class Middle class moved away from center city
Escape crime Pollution Afford larger homes Used commuter rail lines Moved to “streetcar suburbs”
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Separation by Class Late 1800s wealthiest families had at least one live-in servant Gave women more time to pursue outside activities “Women’s clubs” Focused on social and educational activities Later became more charitable and reform activities Helped establish a juvenile court system in Chicago
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Separation by Class Few urban working families could hope of owning a home Most lived in crowded tenements or multifamily apartment buildings Tenement – multifamily apartments, usually dark crowded, and barely meeting minimum living standards
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Separation by Class The first tenement was built in New York City in 1839 Three out of four residents squeezed into dark crowded tenements To supplement average workers income of $445.00 The family rented space to a boarder
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Separation by Class White native born men earned more than
African American men Immigrants women 64% of working families relied on more than one wage Whole families including children worked Children faced dangerous working conditions and were not in school
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Separation by Class Growing number (19%) of women took work outside the home White native born women were more educated Found jobs as Teachers Clerks secretaries
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Separation by Class Many women were domestic servants
Immigrants filled these jobs in the North African American women in the South Domestic servants endured long hours Low wages Social isolation
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Separation by Class What was the life like for working class families?
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Separation by Class Both parents needed to work in most families; in many families children worked, too. Domestic service was the most common type of job for woman.
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Urban Problems What types of problems developed due to the rapid growth of urban families
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Urban Problems City living posed risks of
Crime Violence Fire Disease pollution Rapid growth of cities made these problems worse and complicated
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Urban Problems Crime was a growing problem in American Cities
Minor criminals like Pickpockets Swindlers Thieves Thrived in crowded urban conditions From population jumped from 25 million people to 100 million
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Urban Problems Disease and pollution posed bigger risks
Improper sewage disposal contaminated drinking water Triggered epidemics of typhoid fever and cholera Triggered – to cause an action that causes a greater reaction Sewer systems existed but pollution remained a problem in the 1870s
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Urban Problems Horse manure was left on the streets
Chimneys belched smoke Soot built up from coal and wood fires
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Urban Problems Political machine, an informal political group designed to gain power Came about because cities had grown faster than their government Political machine – an organization linked to a political party that often controlled local government
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Urban Problems New city dwellers needed
Jobs Housing Food Heat Police protection In exchange for votes, political machines and party bosses provided these necessities
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Urban Problems Party boss – the person in control of the political machine George Plunkett powerful New York party boss explained “I can always get a job for a deservin’ man…I know every big employer in the district and in the whole city” “For that matter and they ain’t in the habit of sayin’ no to me when I ask for a job”
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Urban Problems Party bosses controlled the city finances
Machine politicians grew rich as a result of fraud or graft Graft – the acquisition of money in dishonest ways, as in bribing a politician. Outright fraud occurred when party bosses accepted bribes from contractors
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Urban Problems Contractors are suppose to compete fairly
To win contracts to build streets, sewers, and buildings Corrupt bosses sold permits to their friend to operate public utilities Railroads Waterworks Power systems
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Urban Problems Tammany Hall, New York Democratic political machine was the most infamous William “Boss” Tweed was its leader from 1860s to 1870s Tweed’s corruptness led to prison sentence in 1874
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Urban Problems City machines controlled city services including the police St. Louis boss never feared arrest Having voters vote twice at police controlled polling places Thomas Nast a cartoonist blasted corrupt bosses Defenders argued political machines provided necessary services Helped assimilate city dwellers
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Why were political machines so influential in cities?
Urban Problems Why were political machines so influential in cities?
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Urban Problems They provided much needed services in exchange for votes
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