Transcript Urbanization in America - whsseariders 2010-2011

Urbanization in America
Definition: The rapid and massive growth of, and migration
to, large cities. Positive and negative consequences resulted.
In US urbanization, some of these issues were:
employment, sanitation, housing, sewage, water, fire,
social welfare, role of government, and political
machines.
Americans Migrate to Cities
• Cities grew rapidly
• Migrated from farms to work in the city
• Why work in the factories?
– No money to buy farms
– No education to get higher paying jobs
=worked long hours for little pay
Most still said it improved their standard of
living
Positive Effects
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More & Better paying jobs
Lights
Running Water
Modern Plumbing
Things to do like go to museums, libraries,
and theaters
Technology
• Skyscrapers: could build upward now
because of steel frames & electric
elevators
• Mass transit: cable cars, electric trolleys,
elevated railroads & subway systems
• Suspension bridges: able to use steel
cables to suspend bridges from steel
towers and steel cables
Negative Effects
• Over-crowded cities
• High Crime rates
– 1880-1900 murder rate increased from 25 per
million people to 100 per million people
• Native-Born Americans blamed immigrants
for all the problems
• Alcohol=violent crimes inside & outside of
the home
Negative Effects
• Disease & Pollution
– Improper sewage disposal contaminated
drinking water=drank doodoo water
• Disease epidemics=typhoid fever and cholera
– Pollution Caused by:
• Horse waste left on streets
• Smoke from chimneys
• Soot & ash accumulated by wood & coal fires
Living in the City
High Society
• Wealthy
• Lived in Luxury
– Feudal Castle
– English Manor/Mansion
– French Chateau
– Tuscan/Italian Villa
– Persian Pavillion
Middle Class Gentility
• Had jobs that were good paying
– Needed an education
– Doctors, lawyers, teachers, architects,
managers, engineers, social workers
• Average middle class salary: $1,100/year Many
moved out of the city to live in “streetcar suburbs”
– Lived outside of the city and got to work via
streetcars (early form of mass transit)
The Working Class
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Extremely poor
Lived in tenements
Average salary of $490/year
Supplement income:
– Send children to work
– Rent space to borders
Child Laborers
Corrupt Politics
• Cities grew so fast that the government
couldn’t keep up with being able to meet
the peoples needs
• New political system provided essential
city services in exchange for political
power=Politcal Machine & Party Bosses
Political Machine & Party Bosses
• Controlled most of the cities resources
• Took Bribes: Give me $$$ or votes and I will give
you what you need
• Provided city dwellers with necessities at a cost
– Jobs, housing, food, heat and police protection for
VOTES
– You vote for the person I want to be governor, mayor,
senator, congressman, etc=I will provide you with
what you need