1870-1900-America’s population doubled; city population tripled Cities grew up and out ...
Transcript of 1870-1900-America’s population doubled; city population tripled Cities grew up and out ...
Chapter 25“America Moves to the City”
Urban Landscape
1870-1900-America’s population doubled; city population tripled
Cities grew up and out Skyscrapers perfected
› Louis Sullivan, pioneer architect› Chicago (1885)
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Electricity, trolleys, indoor plumbing, and telephones lured people to cities
Department stores-Macy’s (NYC) and Marshall Fields (Chicago) provided urban working-class jobs/attracted shoppers
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Sister Carrie -written by Theodore Dreiser, told of a woman’s escapades in the big city› Made cities look attractive, dazzling
Urban Problems
Overcrowding Transportations shortages Increase in crime Fire danger Unsanitary conditions Poor housing-tenements, row houses
› Little sanitation› Crammed with people› Dark, little ventilation
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Impure water, uncollected garbage, unwashed bodies, and animal droppings made cities smelly and unsanitary
Many wealthy city-dwellers fled to outskirts of cities to escape
New Immigrants
Until 1880’s, most immigrants came from Western Europe and British Isles (Germany, Scandinavia)› Most were literate, accustomed to
representative governments› Referred to as “old immigrants”
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By 1890’s, a great deal of “new immigrants” poured into U.S.› From Southeastern Europe› Baltic and Slavic people› By 1900, over 60% of immigrants from SE
Europe› Ellis Island-main immigration station in
New York Harbor
SE European Immigration
Pull Factors:› Jobs available due to Industrial Revolution
in U.S.› Political, economic and religious issues› Family› “Land of opportunity”› Availability of land
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Many did not assimilate into American culture as easily› Some settled in ethnic neighborhoods› Experienced culture shock› U.S. became a “melting pot”
Reactions to New Immigrants
Government did little to help immigrants adjust to American life
Often controlled by powerful political bosses› Provided jobs and support in exchange for
political support at polls
See clip of “Far and Away”
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Social Gospel Movement› Belief that Christians were responsible for
helping clean up city life and tackle burning social issues/ills of the day
Settlement Houses
Started by social reformers Helped immigrants become
“Americanized”-language, jobs, education, health care, etc.
Became centers for female activism and reform/Ex: Florence Kelley, fought to protect female workers and against child labor
Hull House, Chicago, founded by Jane Addams
Surge of Nativism
Old immigrants began to look down on new immigrants
Feared a mixing of blood would ruin the fairer Anglo-Saxon races and create inferior offspring
Trade unionists hated new immigrants for willingness to work for super-low wages and bringing in socialist/communist ideas
“Looking Backward”-1893, Puck
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Labor leaders tried to restrict immigration (scabs)
American Protective Association organized
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) In the midst of Anti-Immigrant climate,
Statue of Liberty arrived from France in 1886
Churches Confront Urban Challenges
Some felt Satan winning battle between good and evil
Urban Revivalists› Dwight L. Moody-gospel of kindness and
forgiveness Moody Bible Institute-Chicago (1889)
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Growth in Roman Catholic/Jewish faiths with the new immigrant populations growing
By 1890, Americans could choose from 150 denominations› New Salvation Army-tried to help the poor
and unfortunate
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Church of Christ› Founded by Mary Baker Eddy› Preached preservation of Christianity that
she claimed healed sickness
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YMCA, YWCA’s sprouted up Modernists stepped out from
fundamentalists› Refused to believe the Bible was
completely accurate and factual› On the Origin of Species -Charles Darwin
(1859)
Educational Changes
New Trends:› Creation of more public schools› Free textbooks funded by taxpayers› By 1900, 6,000 high schools in U.S.› Kindergartens increased› Curriculum expanded beyond three R’s› Catholic schools grew in number and
popularity› Chautauqua Movement-1874-public lectures
to many people by famous writers; extensive home studies
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Colleges and universities sprouted up after Civil War› Vassar-college for women› Howard University, Atlanta University,
Hampton Institute› Morill Act of 1862-generous grant of public
lands to state for support of education› Hatch Act of 1887-fed funds for
establishment of agricultural experiment stations
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Private donations went toward the establishment of colleges› Ex: University of Chicago, funded by John
D. Rockefeller
Education for African-Americans
Booker T. Washington› Founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama› Students taught practical skills and trades
› Washington did not talk much about social equality; said Blacks must help themselves by being educated first
Side note….Student, George Washington Carver, later discovered new uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans
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WEB DuBois-first black to get a PhD from Harvard› Demanded complete equality for blacks
and immediate action› Founded the NAACP in 1909
Side note….Washington from the South and DuBois from the North, reflects different attitudes in 2 regions
Appeal of the Press
Libraries opened across the U.S. Invention of linotype (1885), press kept
pace with demand Competition sparked “yellow
journalism”-sensationalized, exaggerated stories on scandal, sex, and other human interest stories
Journalistic Icons
Joseph Pulitzer- New York World William Randolph Hearst- San Francisco
Examiner Associated Press-established in the
1840’s-more reliable
Postwar Writing
Dime novels-depicted the Wild West and other romantic, adventurous settings› Harland Halsey› Horatio Alger-”rags to riches” stories› Walt Whitman-old writer- Leaves of Grass› Emily Dickinson-famed hermit poet› Mark Twain-Samuel Clemens, real name› Stephen Crane› Jack London› Frank Norris
Families and Women in the Cities
Urban families under much stress Everyone had to work, even kids under
10 Farms-more children=more help Cities-more children=more mouths to
feed, more poverty
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Charlotte Perkins Gilman/Feminist thought› Published “Women and Economics”-called
for women to abandon their dependent status; contribute to larger life of community
› Advocated day-care centers and centralized nurseries and kitchens
Women’s Suffrage
National American Woman Suffrage Association (1890)
Led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
By 1900, new generation of suffragists led by Carrie Chapman Catt
Ida B. Wells-formed National Association of Colored Women in 1896
Prohibition/Social Progress
Alcohol was a concern National Prohibition Party formed in
1869 Women’s Christian Temperance Union-
called for national prohibition Leaders Carrie Nation, Frances Willard
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Anti-Saloon League-1893 American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty of Animals-1866 American Red Cross-Clara Barton-1881
Artistic Achievements
Art largely suppressed first half of 1800’s Thomas Eakins-great realist painter Winslow Homer-painted typical New England
scenes-ex: schools Music reached new heights-erection of opera
houses and emergence of jazz Thomas Edison-invented phonograph-
reproduction of sound Architecture-Columbian Exposition-1892-
Chicago-displayed many architectural achievements
Late 1800’s Amusement
Barnum and Bailey started “The Greatest Show on Earth”-circus
Wild West Shows-Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley
Baseball-America’s pastime Football and Wrestling gained
popularity In 1891, James Naismith invented
basketball