6.2 Urbanization

I. Migrating to the City

A. Urban population of the U.S. grew rapidly by 19001. Immigrants with little money found jobs here2. Mechanization of farm work forced rural Americans to

the cities

I. Migrating to the City…

B. As cities grew, new technologies made skyscrapers possible1. Louis Sullivan – father of the skyscrapers

I. Migrating to the City…

C. Mass transit1. Horsecar cable cars electric trolley car2. Larger cities needing to ease congestion relied on

elevated railroads & subways

II. Separation by Class

A. The wealthy lived in fashionable districts in the heart of the city

B. Middle class lived in large homes away from the center of the city – “streetcar suburbs”

C. Working class lived in crowded tenements

III. Urban Problems

A. Crime, pollution, diseaseB. Political corruption

1. Political machines, led by party bosses, provided basic necessities to city dwellers in exchange for votes

2. Politicians grew rich through fraud or graft3. Tammany Hall, the New York City Democratic political

machine was the most infamous of them all- Led by William “Boss” Tweed

“The poor are the most grateful people in the world, and, let me tell you, they have more friends in their neighborhoods than the rich have in theirs.

If there’s a family in my district in want, I know it before the charitable societies do, and me and my men are the first on the ground…. The consequence is that the poor look up to George Plunkitt… and don’t forget him on election day.

Another thing, 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 saying no to me when I ask them for a job.” - quoted by New York “Boss” George Plunkitt

III. Urban Problems…