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)

Continued

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

Continued

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

Continued

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”

Continued

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

Continued

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”

Continued

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

Continued

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)

Continued

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

Continued

Church of Christ› Founded by Mary Baker Eddy› Preached preservation of Christianity that

she claimed healed sickness

Continued

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

Continued

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

Continued

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

Continued

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

Continued

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

Continued

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