Chapter 16Life at the Turn of the 20th Century

1880-1915

Section 1: Science & Urban Life

Main Idea› Advances in science & technology helped

to solve urban problems i.e. overcrowding

Why does this still matter today?

•American cities continue to depend on the results of scientific and technological research.

16

The United States The World

1878 Bicycle touring club is founded in Europe. 1883 Construction of the Brooklyn

Bridge is completed. 1884 Fifteen-nation conference on the division of Africa convenes in Berlin.

1888 Electric trolleys are first introduced.

1900 William McKinley is reelected.

TIME LINE

HOME

1889 Barnum & Bailey Circus opens in London.

1891 Ida B. Wells crusades against lynching.

1899 German psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud publishes The Interpretation of Dreams.

1896 Supreme Court establishes “separate-but-equal” doctrine in Plessy v. Ferguson.

1901 McKinley is assassinated. Theodore Roosevelt becomes president. 1904 Theodore Roosevelt is elected president.

Life at the Turn of the 20th Century

continued . . .

16

The United States The World

1910 Mexican Revolution begins.

1908 Henry Ford introduces the Model T. William H. Taft is elected president.

1914 World War I begins in Europe.

1912 Woodrow Wilson is elected president.

TIME LINE

HOME

1916 Woodrow Wilson is reelected.

Life at the Turn of the 20th Century

Technology & City Life

Cities expand upward & outward› By 1900: 4 out 10 Americans lived in cities

› How does a city deal with so many people and so little land? Build towards the sky Build outwards

Bridges Outward expansion of cities increased travel to and from cities encouraged technological advance in

other areas catalyst for upward growth skyscrapers

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

Skyscrapers

Skyscrapers› Inventions: Elevator & Steel› Louis Sullivan: Wainwright Building in St.

Louis› Solution: limited & expensive space› Daniel Burnham: Flatiron Building

Transportation Electricity transformed cities

› Electric streetcars for urban transit Also called Trolley cars

Ran from outlying neighborhoods to downtown i.e. easy transportation to offices & shops

•Underground streetcars•“el” (elevated) trains: above street level•Subways

Developments of Suburbs

New inventions made this possible - Lawnmower - no longer needed animals to eat the grass - Icebox - ice delivered daily - Indoor plumbing -Iron cooking range

City Planning Bring back environment into cities

› Create recreational areas Frederick Law Olmstead: Landscape architect

› Olmstead & Vaux designed “Greensward” Also known as: Central Park in NYC Central Park

Boating Tennis facilities Zoo Bicycle paths

Olmstead also landscaping for St. Louis & Washington, D.C.

Video

Central Park, NYC & Boston’s Park System

New Technologies Railroad: spanned the nation Advances in printing Aviation Photography

PrintingBy 1890: literacy rate 90%American mills: produce huge quantities of cheap paper from wood pulpNew paper durable for high speed pressesFaster production & lower costs: newspapers & magazines cheaper

Airplanes & Photography Orville & Wilbur Wright

› Dec. 17, 1903, Kitty Hawk, NC Flight: 12 seconds & 120 feet

New Technologies

Photography Explosion- Pre-1880s, photography requires heavy equipment, time

- George Eastman develops light-weight equipment, studio processing- 1888 - introduced Kodak camera (easy to operate) - Millions use Kodak camera- Helped create field of photojournalism

In Groups Discuss which scientific or

technological development we have talked about had the greatest impact on American culture? Do research – as a group decide and write at least 10 reasons to support your choice

City Design Communication Transportation

•Bridges•Skyscrapers•Urban planning•Parks

•Photography•Linotype machine (line casting – one line at a time)•High speed printing presses

•Trains•Electric Streetcars•Planes•Subways

Homework

Read ch 16 section 3 pages 492-497   Take notes   Answer the "main idea" questions as

you read - there are 3

Section 2: Expanding Education

Main Idea› Reforms in public education = rise in

national literacy & promotion of public education

› Terms & Names: Booker T. Washington Tuskegee Normal & Industrial Institute W.E.B. Du Bois

Education By Civil War

› Most states had public education› Most kids did not receive formal schooling› Majority of students left within 4 yrs. & few

attended high school Between 1865-1895

› States passed legislation: 12-16 weeks per year for kids between 8-14

› Rote memorization › physical punishment

Importance of Education

Many immigrants wanted an education for their children

American school system grew faster than cities Began taking over task that had once belonged

to parents - Taught children citizenship, proper social behavior, and skills to earn a living

Characteristics

1865 to 1895 - Cities and states passed laws that required children to attend school until they reached a certain age - Kindergartens - originally childcare for working women became popular- 1880 - 62% white children, 34% black children in elementary school- School populations more than doubled between 1870 and 1900

Importance of Education Educators faced problems of teaching children from

different backgrounds who spoke different languages Schools looked to factory as a model

- Grades that organized children by age were established - The marking system, textbooks and courses became standardized - Added vocational classes to teach children a skill

Importance of Education

High schools, grew as a result of the Industrial economy’s demand for technical, managerial skills- 1900 - more than half a million students in high school- Expanding education changed American society

African-Americans experienced racial discrimination in education- Small percentage of black teenagers attended high school- Most attended private schools that received no government support

Importance of Education

Some immigrants resented suppression of their native languages- Many public school systems had readings from Protestant Bible- Catholics had parochial schools

Adults attended night school & some day programs at work- unionists objected to employer programs

Many families needed the money their children earned - They chose not to send their children to school

Expanding Higher Education

By turn of century, 2.3% of youth attend college 1880–1920, college enrollment more than

quadruples Research universities emerged, & offered new

curriculum Professional law & medical schools established Private universities had entrance exams

- Some state colleges want high school diploma

Founded 1894

Founded 1782

Higher Education for African Americans Not enough black college graduates to meet needs of

communities Booker T. Washington—racism will end if blacks get

labor skills Headed Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute,

now a university

Booker T. Washington Bio

Higher Education for African Americans

W. E. B. Du Bois, first African American to get Harvard doctorate - disagreed with Washington

Founded Niagara Movement to encourage liberal arts study - believed well-educated future leaders needed- Formed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

W.E.B. Du Bois Video

Education Today – Group Work

You get modify the education system in the United States

Research other country’s educational systems

Look at test scores, achievement levels after school, employment; etc.

Things to think about: population (how big & homogenous); culture; taxes; etc.

As a pair decide at least 4 modifications you would make to the US education system – you must defend your decision with evidence

Homework

Birth of a Nation Primary Source

Annotate & Highlight

Document Analysis Sheet

Video Links

Booker T. Washington Biography

W.E.B. Du Bois Video

Section 3Segregation and

Discrimination

African Americans lead the fight against voting restrictions and Jim Crow laws.

Birth of a Nation & World’s Fair Discussion

Birth of a Nation Clip 1 Birth of a Nation Clip 2 Is this film historically accurate? What makes a film historically

accurate?

How was the fair described? Explain how this fair represents

“modern America”

African Americans Fight Legal Discrimination

For at least 10 years after Reconstruction, Southern blacks could not vote

By 1900, all Southern states restricted voting & denied equality

Some limited vote to those who could read (officials gave literacy tests)

Some had poll tax that must be paid annually to vote

Some add grandfather clause to constitution to let poor whites vote- Could vote if self, father, grandfather voted before 1867

Jim Crow Laws Video

Jim Crow Laws

1870s, - 1880s, Supreme Court allowed poll tax & grandfather clause

Racial segregation laws separated races in private & public places

Segregation laws called Jim Crow laws after old minstrel song

1896 Plessy v. Ferguson - segregation legal in public places- Allowed “separate but equal” doctrine if provide equal service

Turn-of-the-Century Race Relations

Racial etiquette—informal rules for black-white relations- enforce second-class status for blacks

Moderate reformers, like Booker T. Washington, received white support

W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells thought problems were too urgent to postpone

Born a slave, Ida B. Wells becomes a teacher, newspaper editor- campaigned for racial justice

African Americans who do not follow etiquette were punished or lynched› more than 1,400 killed 1882–1892

Discrimination in the North

Many blacks migrated North for better paying jobs & social equality

were forced into segregated neighborhoods

Rejected by labor unions; hired last, fired first by employers

Competition between blacks, working-class whites sometimes violent

Discrimination in the West

More Mexicans built railroads in Southwest than other ethnic groups- forced to work for less than other groups

Mexicans major force in Southwest agricultural industries

Some Southwest Mexicans & African Americans forced into debt peonage:- system of slavery to work off debt to employer- 1911, Supreme Court declared debt peonage unconstitutional

Whites feared job competition - Pushed Chinese to separate areas, schools- Opposition to Chinese immigration led to Chinese Exclusion Act

Homework

Read Ch 16 Sec 4 pages 498-503 Take Notes Answer the Main Idea questions in the

margins

Section 4The Dawn of Mass Culture

As Americans have more time for leisure activities, a modern mass culture

emerges.

American Leisure

Despite poverty and poor working conditions, people had more leisure time than ever before - Caused a growth of a new city culture in which everyone could share

Amusement Parks

Cities begin setting aside green space for recreation

Amusement parks built on outskirts with picnic grounds, rides

1884 – Many Americans rode rollercoaster at Coney Island

1883 – World’s 1st Ferris wheel was introduced at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago

Coney Island

Sports

Both amateur and pro sports become popular 1869 - 1st pro baseball team formed

(Cincinnati Red Stockings) 1876 - The National League of Professional

Baseball Clubs was organized Baseball replaced horse racing as America's

favorite spectator sport - National League formed 1876; American League formed 1900 - Discrimination led to Negro National, Negro American Leagues

Sports 1870's - Americans took English game of Rugby

and turned it into Football 1891 – Basketball was invented in Massachusetts

as a game to play indoors during the winter Tennis was imported from Britain; became

popular By turn of century, boxing & baseball had

became profitable businesses Women began playing sports as they became

more popular - Challenged the idea that sports were for men only

Impact of Bicycles 1800s – Invention set

off a craze that would last 2 decades

Early bicycles were dangerous; at first, bicycling was male-only sport

Impact of Bicycles

Safer bicycles increased popularity of sport & women began riding too- Women wore baggy pants “bloomers” when riding

Tandem bikes were built for two

Offered a fun and easy way to get around

Cheaper than keeping or feeding a horse

Vaudeville Theater Variety Show that

included a little bit of everything - Songs- Skits - Dances- Comic routines - Juggling and gymnastics

Both rich and poor attended the theater

Used Songs and comedy to explore the social problems of the day

Early Movies

1890s- part of the Vaudeville show was a short moving picture

By 1900 – People were paying 5 cents to watch short silent films (Nickelodeons)

Filmmakers began using several roles of film to create more complex stores (Birth of the modern movie industry)

Mass Circulation Newspapers Newspapers used

sensational headlines, stories to capture readers

Joseph Pulitzer - bought New York World, pioneers popular innovations- Became champion of the poor - Used simple language that most people could read - Included human interest stories as well as news

He was the 1st person to put sections together in a newspaper- Sports - Womens - Comics

Mass Circulation Newspapers

He also connected the city and people to each other - Raised the money to pay for the Statue of Liberty base after the Gov. refused - 1886- $100,000 in donations from readers

Mass Circulation Newspapers

William Randolph Hearst—NY, San Francisco papers exaggerated stories

Popular Fiction

By 1900, thousands of free circulating libraries in country Most people liked dime novels - glorified adventure tales of

the West Some wanted more serious, realistic portrayal of ordinary

people & life Novelist, humorist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or Mark

Twain: - rejected high culture yet wrote American classics

Art galleries & libraries tried to raise cultural standards

New Ways to Sell Goods 1890 - first shopping

center opened in Cleveland

Retail shopping districts formed near public transportation

1865 - Marshall Field opened first U.S. department store in Chicago- stressed personal service - Paid close attention to women customers - pioneered bargain basement “ selling goods that were less expensive but reliable”

New Ways to Sell Goods

The Chain Store- Chain stores offer same merchandise under same owners for less- bought in quantity, limited personal service

Advertising Advertising explosion: $10

million spent 1865, $95 million 1900

Advertising in periodicals, billboards, sides of buildings

Department Stores also attracted customers through newspaper ads and window displays - Salesmen were expected to be nice to the poor as well as rich a. people of all classes began shopping together

Changed downtown area - Became a place for everyone not just the working people

Catalogs and RFD

Montgomery Ward, Sears Roebuck catalogs brought goods to small towns

Catalogs and RFD

1896 – Post office introduced Rural free delivery (RFD) - post office delivers direct to every home

Homework

Study for Ch 16 Test You may use your

notes