Chapter 16: The Transformation of American Society (1865-1910)Section 2: The Urban World

“The hook: The industrial revolution sweeping America in the latter half of the 19th century would quickly transform cities”

The Industrial Revolution and Urban Society The Industrial Revolution provided a great

variety of opportunities for a great variety of people. Entrepreneurs like Carnegie and Rockefeller would

draw on existing populations and transportation systems to build great corporations and historic fortunes (Upper Class

A growing number of merchants and small entrepreneurs would find growing number of opportunities to cater to the needs of growing urban populations (Middle Class)

Immigrants and rural immigrants looked for work in factories- Lacked social safety nets common today

Poor day laborers and street criminals

What is meant by class?

Class- a concept that people live under different conditions and levels of privilege Power- ability to control the activities of others --

examples? Prestige- The esteem by which others hold you ---

examples? Wealth– The amount of money and other assets you

control – examples? While the American ideal is that of a classless

society where no group has privilege over another, the economic nature of capitalism shows that this is not true Meritocracy- risk taking and the accumulation of wealth

The Urban Rich

The industrial revolution created a new class nouveau-riche – “The new rich”

This class often attempted to imitate the lives of old world nobility Huge mansions and ostentatious

cottages Philanthropy for show Victorian morality

Very visible in the community Rags-to-riches dream… You too can

be a millionaire!” Horatio Alger novels

John D. Rockefeller’s Home on Millionaire's Row Euclid Avenue- Cleveland, Ohio

Vanderbilt’s “Cottage” at Newport, RI

The Nouveau Riche and the City

The rich held enormous power Relatively few people would control industry-

wages and conditions for millions of Americans

Controlled state and national politics The rich had great prestige- captains of

industry and fathers of philanthropy The rich of the late 19th century controlled a

greater percentage of American wealth and paid no income tax!

The Middle Class

The wealth generated by the industrial revolution supported a growth of a middle class.

The middle class was diverse consisted of small business owners and administrators, lawyers, doctors, teachers, police and other such folks

Wealth varied but income was more predictable and conditions largely safer than working class

Professionalization

Education and licensing standards became common among professionals in the late 19th century Certification process to become a teacher, lawyer,

doctor etc… Higher standards represented greater

knowledge and demands put upon professions Increased the prestige and income of

professionals by weeding out quacks and hacks Professional associations- AMA, NEA , Bar

Associations (Attorneys) etc…

What was the middle class lifestyle? Incomes of middle class rose by about 1/3

between 1890 and 1910 These people could afford the new luxuries of

the period… Ready-made clothes- rise of fashion as a way to

show middle class wealth New foods available- canning and refrigeration Vacations and leisure- Come to Cambridge

Springs! Enjoyed a career rather than working from day

to day The New middle class- between the new

rich and working class

The Middle Class and the City

The power prestige and wealth of the middle class varied greatly depending on occupation

As Americans became more interested in the work of “experts”, professionals among the middle class would gain power, prestige and wealth.

The Middle Class would move out of crowded industrial sections of town into new “streetcar suburbs” and commute into the center city

Mt. Lebanon: A Street Car suburb of Pittsburgh

The Working Class

The industrial revolution required a growing number of unskilled workers

Workers concentrated within walking distance of mills- very crowded. Lower Manhattan (New York) had the highest

population in the world Rents were relatively high and conditions

deplorable Wages were driven down by periodic

depressions and competition by immigrant labor- unskilled labor had no job security

Wages and Conditions

Workers had little or no control over wages and conditions of work

In 1900, the average worker made $400.00 to $500.00 a year (Poverty level was $600.00

New technology made labor repetitive, monotonous and often dangerous

Living Conditions

Because of crowding and poverty, life in working class neighborhoods was very dangerous Lived in close proximity of polluting factories Lack of water treatment facilities promoted

water-born disease like typhoid Overcrowded wooden structures created great

urban fires Poverty and misery a breeding ground for

crime

How the Other Half Lived…

Jacob Riis- Danish immigrant Used developing photographic technology to

penetrate the lives of “the other half” Urban poor who lived in crowded tenements in

lower Manhattan Exposed the deplorable conditions of urban

tenements to the nation… and to us today

Let’s explore some of his work to find evidence that supports Riis’s observation listed on the worksheet for section 2

Jacob Riis Gallery

The Drive for Reform

In the late 1800s few government programs existed to help the poor. Some poor city-dwellers received charitable handouts of food and clothing. However, a group of idealistic young Americans was certain that more must be done.

The Settlement Houses

Jane Addams She established Hull House, located in a

run-down mansion in one of Chicago’s poor immigrant neighborhoods.

The Settlement Houses

Settlement houses are community service centers that offer:

educational opportunitiesskills trainingcultural events

The Settlement Houses

Addams also promoted women’s suffrage and served as president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She received the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Social Gospel Movement

begun by Protestant ministers called for people to apply Christian

principles to address social problems believed the church had a moral duty to

confront social injustice

The Social Gospel Movement

Many churches offered: classes counseling job training libraries other social activities

Questions

What services did settlement houses and churches following the social gospel movement offer to the poor?

The hook: The industrial revolution sweeping America in the latter half of the 19th century would quickly transform cities