Progressive Era: THE AGE OF THE CITY

America begins life as an

agrarian

society but rapidly begins to

urbanize.

Topics

          Urbanization Population Growth Immigration and Migrations The Ethnic City Urban Landscape 1) Public Space 2) Housing Problems of Urban Life Political Machines Mass Consumption Leisure Culture in the City

The Lure of the City: page 500

 “We cannot all live in cities. Yet nearly all seemed determined to do so.” Horace Greely     More and better- paying jobs Immigrants Better transportation Declining farm regions of east West, cities of midwest and east

Population Growth

Total Immigration

Sources of Immigration from Europe 1860 - 1900

African-American Migration

The Ethnic City: Milwaukee, WI 1850 - 1890

Immigrants in the City

     Benefits of ethnic neighborhoods Those who arrived with a skill did better than those who did not Strength of ethnic ties vs. assimilation African – Americans, Asians and Mexicans suffered the most discrimination Changing Gender Patterns

The Urban Landscape :

A study in contrasts

The Urban Landscape :

Public Space

  Reformers, planners and architects call for more ordered vision of the city City Planning: parks, libraries, museums

Need for Urban Planning becomes evident as well

The Urban Landscape 1850’s : Central Park : Olmstead and Vaux

Housing the Well -to -do

  Due to cheap labor, easy access to tools more people are able to buy homes Beacon Hill, Nob Hill, Society Hill, Fifth Ave

Housing Workers and the Poor: Tenements

How the Other Half Lives(1890) : Jacob Riis documents slum life

The Urban Landscape : Urban Transportation

The Urban Landscape : Population changes with transportation

The Urban Landscape : Cities grow upward as well as outward

   Steel girder construction Louis Sullivan Frank Lloyd Wright will later apply techniques to shorter buildings

Problems of Urban Life

     Fires Disease –typhoid, cholera due to poor sanitation Air pollution Poverty High crime rates

Great Chicago Fire 1871: supposedly started by “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”

   Whole midwest was very dry Streets were made of wood which helped fire spread 4 miles long area burned

The Aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire

The Legend

Disease

   Sanitation standards were low Raw sewage in the streets contaminated the water Sewer systems not complete until into the 20 th century.

Urban Poverty

   Private and public agencies offered limited relief, thinking it would cause dependence Salvation Army Idea of self improvement limited attention to sources of poverty

Fear of the City/Crime and Violence

     High crime rates Alienating Anonymous Limited connection with work Sister Carrie

The Political Machine the Boss and

  Became a source of assistance for new immigrants, those who needed jobs and those in trouble with the law- often in return for votes.

Would give supporters government jobs

Political Machines

The Rise of Mass Consumption

     Coincides with the rise of the middle class = demand for products Chain stores, mail order products Woolworth The A & P Goods no longer being made at home, but instead purchased in the consumer economy

Leisure: Thanks to the 8 hour workday

Leisure : Sports: Football: originated in universities

Baseball: The American National Game

   Baseball clubs 1903: First modern World Series. Red Sox beat the Pittsburg Pirates Working class game

Mass communication

  Newspapers become more important American journalism becomes a profession