The Growth of Cities The Growth of Cities and American Cultureand American Culture

In the last half of the nineteenth In the last half of the nineteenth century, the U.S. population increased century, the U.S. population increased more than threefold, from 23.2 million more than threefold, from 23.2 million in 1850 to 76.2 million in 1900.in 1850 to 76.2 million in 1900.

ImmigrationImmigration

Why?Why? 1.) Poverty of displaced 1.) Poverty of displaced

farm workers in Europefarm workers in Europe 2.)Overcrowding and 2.)Overcrowding and

joblessness in Europejoblessness in Europe 3.) Religious persecution 3.) Religious persecution

in Europe (Jews in in Europe (Jews in Russia)Russia)

4.) U.S. reputation for 4.) U.S. reputation for freedom/opportunity freedom/opportunity (land out west and jobs (land out west and jobs in the industrial cities)in the industrial cities)

5.) Inexpensive passage5.) Inexpensive passage

““Old” Immigration Old” Immigration

Through the 1880s, the Through the 1880s, the majority of immigrants majority of immigrants came from northern and came from northern and western Europewestern Europe

British Isles, Germany British Isles, Germany and Scandinaviaand Scandinavia

Mostly Protestants and Mostly Protestants and Irish CatholicsIrish Catholics

High level of literacy High level of literacy and occupational skills and occupational skills made it easy for them to made it easy for them to blend into American blend into American societysociety

““New” ImmigrationNew” Immigration

1890s-19141890s-1914 Southern and eastern Southern and eastern

EuropeEurope Italians, Greeks, Croats, Italians, Greeks, Croats,

Slovaks, Poles and Slovaks, Poles and RussiansRussians

Poor and mostly illiteratePoor and mostly illiterate Largely Roman Catholic, Largely Roman Catholic,

Greek Orthodox, Russian Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and JewishOrthodox and Jewish

NYC and ChicagoNYC and Chicago 25% were young men 25% were young men

working unskilled jobsworking unskilled jobs

Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty

Erected in 1886Erected in 1886 French sculptor French sculptor

Frederic-Auguste Frederic-Auguste BartholdiBartholdi

Ellis Island opens in Ellis Island opens in 18921892

New arrivals must pass New arrivals must pass more rigorous medical more rigorous medical and document and document examinations and pay examinations and pay an entry tax before an entry tax before entering the United entering the United StatesStates

Ellis Island 1892-1954Ellis Island 1892-1954

Restricting Restricting ImmigrationImmigration

Chinese Exclusion Act – Chinese Exclusion Act – 18821882

Many American groups Many American groups supported restrictions: supported restrictions: labor unions, nativists, labor unions, nativists, and social Darwinists and social Darwinists (who felt citizens of (who felt citizens of English and German English and German stock were superior to stock were superior to others)others)

By 1900, roughly 15% of By 1900, roughly 15% of Americans were Americans were immigrantsimmigrants

UrbanizationUrbanization

Cities provide a supply of Cities provide a supply of labor and a principal labor and a principal market for factory made market for factory made goodsgoods

By 1900, 40% of By 1900, 40% of Americans lived in towns Americans lived in towns or cities, by 1920, for the or cities, by 1920, for the first time, more Americans first time, more Americans live in urban than rural live in urban than rural communitiescommunities

Between 1897 and 1930, Between 1897 and 1930, nearly 1 million southern nearly 1 million southern blacks settled in blacks settled in northern/western citiesnorthern/western cities

UrbanizationUrbanization

Horse drawn streetcars Horse drawn streetcars for commutingfor commuting

Eventually cable cars, Eventually cable cars, electric trolleys, electric trolleys, elevated railroads and elevated railroads and subways provide subways provide transportationtransportation

Brooklyn Bridge – 1883Brooklyn Bridge – 1883 Neighborhoods became Neighborhoods became

segregated by incomesegregated by income

UrbanizationUrbanization

Little Italy - NYCLittle Italy - NYC SkyscrapersSkyscrapers Distinct ethnic Distinct ethnic

neighborhoods – affluent neighborhoods – affluent citizens move out of citizens move out of business districts, poor business districts, poor move inmove in

Slums and tenements Slums and tenements were overcrowdedwere overcrowded

Sanitation problems – Sanitation problems – disease (cholera and disease (cholera and tuberculosis)tuberculosis)

““ghettos” ghettos”

Tenements - NYCTenements - NYC

Residential suburbsResidential suburbs

In Europe the wealthiest In Europe the wealthiest people live in the business people live in the business districtsdistricts

In America, we have In America, we have tended to move outward, tended to move outward, away from the business away from the business districtsdistricts

WHY?WHY? 1,) Available land1,) Available land 2.) Transportation2.) Transportation 3.) Ethnic and racial 3.) Ethnic and racial

prejudiceprejudice 4.) Want of landscape, and 4.) Want of landscape, and

privacyprivacy

Awakening of ReformAwakening of Reform

Middle class movement Middle class movement inspired by poverty of inspired by poverty of working class familiesworking class families

Settlement houses Settlement houses taught taught English to immigrants, English to immigrants, pioneered early childhood pioneered early childhood education, and education, and established neighborhood established neighborhood theatres and music theatres and music schoolsschools

Hull HouseHull House in Chicago in Chicago was started by was started by Jane Jane AddamsAddams

Social GospelSocial Gospel

In 1880s and 1890s, In 1880s and 1890s, Protestant clergymen Protestant clergymen preached the preached the Social Social GospelGospel

Or the importance of Or the importance of applying Christian applying Christian principles to social principles to social problemsproblems

Organized religion should Organized religion should take up the cause of take up the cause of social justicesocial justice

Middle class Protestants Middle class Protestants are encouraged to attack are encouraged to attack urban problemsurban problems

Temperance Temperance MovementMovement

Urban reformers, Urban reformers, especially women especially women advocated total advocated total abstinence of alcoholabstinence of alcohol

Women’s Christian Women’s Christian Temperance Union Temperance Union (WCTU) forms in 1874(WCTU) forms in 1874

Antisaloon League forms Antisaloon League forms in 1893in 1893

Carry A. Nation of Carry A. Nation of Kansas raided saloons Kansas raided saloons and smashed barrels of and smashed barrels of beer with a hatchetbeer with a hatchet

Temperance Temperance MovementMovement

Families and WomenFamilies and Women

Reduction in family sizeReduction in family size Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton

and Susan B. Anthony and Susan B. Anthony created the National created the National American Women’s American Women’s Suffrage Association Suffrage Association ((NAWSA)((NAWSA)

WY was first state to grant WY was first state to grant full suffrage to women in full suffrage to women in 18691869

By 1900, some states By 1900, some states allowed women to vote in allowed women to vote in local elections and to own local elections and to own property after marriageproperty after marriage

EducationEducation

3 R’s 3 R’s McGuffey readersMcGuffey readers Laws increased, that Laws increased, that

required children in required children in schoolsschools

Literacy rate roseLiteracy rate rose Number of colleges Number of colleges

grewgrew Johns Hopkins, Smith, Johns Hopkins, Smith,

Mount Holyoke, Mount Holyoke, University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago

More admit womenMore admit women

MusicMusic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rc

Jazz is introduced to the Jazz is introduced to the American publicAmerican public

New Orleans – Jelly Roll New Orleans – Jelly Roll Morton and Buddy BoldenMorton and Buddy Bolden

African rhythms and African rhythms and western-style instrumentswestern-style instruments

Mixed improvisationMixed improvisation Scott Joplin sells 1 million Scott Joplin sells 1 million

copies of “Maple Leaf Rag” copies of “Maple Leaf Rag” (1899)(1899)

Ragtime and bluesRagtime and blues Memphis, St. Louis, KC, Memphis, St. Louis, KC,

and Chicagoand Chicago

Spectator SportsSpectator Sports

Basketball invented in Basketball invented in 1891 (Springfield, MA)1891 (Springfield, MA)

Football – First Football – First intercollegiate game was intercollegiate game was Rutgers v. Princeton in Rutgers v. Princeton in 18691869

BoxingBoxing President Howard Taft President Howard Taft

throws out first pitch in throws out first pitch in 19091909

Mostly male spectators, Mostly male spectators, upper and lower classesupper and lower classes

Severe discriminationSevere discrimination

AmusementsAmusements

Growth of leisure Growth of leisure activitiesactivities

Saloons were most Saloons were most popular form of popular form of recreationrecreation

Variety of acts Variety of acts (vaudeville)(vaudeville)

Circus : “Greatest Show Circus : “Greatest Show on Earth” Barnum & on Earth” Barnum & BaileyBailey

Wild West show of Wild West show of Buffalo BillBuffalo Bill

ArchitectureArchitecture

Frank Lloyd Wright – Frank Lloyd Wright – prairie houses, in prairie houses, in harmony with natureharmony with nature

Frederick Law Olmstead Frederick Law Olmstead – Central Park, Highland – Central Park, Highland Park and Genesee Park and Genesee Valley Park in RochesterValley Park in Rochester