The Dawn of Mass Culture
Ch.8 section 4
American LeisureAmusement Parks
◦Amusement parks were constructed on the outskirts of cities Coney Island opened in 1884 with a roller coaster Chicago offered the first Ferris wheel in 1893
Bicycling◦Cycling began as a male only sport◦Eventually cycling changed women’s clothing and
allowed them to get away from male chaperones◦By 1890 more than 10 million bikes were made every
yearTennis
◦Modern version originated in Wales in 1873◦By the 1890s tennis was a popular sport
American LeisureSpectator Sports
◦Boxing and baseball◦Began informally◦Those who couldn’t attend listened on the radio
Baseball◦Alexander J. Cartwright set down formal rules in
1845◦By 1900, the American and National Leagues had
formed◦Negro National League and Negro American League◦1903 first World Series- Boston Pilgrims beat
Pittsburgh Pirates
Mass Circulation Newspapers
Joseph Pulitzer-New York World◦Sunday edition, comics, sports coverage,
women’s news◦Emphasized “sin, sex, and sensation”
William Randolph Hearst-Morning Journal (NY), and San Francisco Examiner◦Journal filled with stories of scandal, cruelty,
hypnotism, and an imaginary conquest of MarsBy 1898, both the World and Journal sold
over 1 million copies a day
Spread of Mass CulturePromoting Fine Art
◦Ashcan school of American art painted urban life with realism
◦Thomas Eakins and Robert Henri◦Thousands of libraries provided books on any
subjectPopular Fiction
◦Light fiction books sold for 10 cents (dime novels)
◦Successful writers include Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Henry James, Stephen Crane, and Jack London
New Ways to Sell GoodsUrban Shopping
◦Earliest shopping center opened in Cleveland, OhioDepartment Stores
◦Marshall Field of Chicago opened the first department store.
◦He catered to womenChain Stores
◦Sold goods for less by buying in quantity and limiting personal service
Advertising◦$10 million in 1865 to $95 million by 1900
Catalogs and RFD◦ Montgomery Ward and Sears Roebuck produced catalogs so
shopping could be done by mail◦ 1896 USPS introduced rural free delivery that took packages
directly to homes