Life in the Cities 8-3
City Growth 1880 rural population = 74% 1910s rural population = 54% Great Migration of southern blacks 2 phases (1890, 1910s) – movement of southern blacks to northern and Midwestern cities. Advances in transportation Suburbs – Kingwood Skyscrapers & elevators Buildings can be taller and cites can be more dense
Where do poor people live? Tenements Low-cost apartment buildings designed to house as many families as the owner could pack in Severe overcrowding Few trees, little grass Dark, foul air from coal engines & boilers Open sewers attracted rats (diseases) Small fires become large fires quickly Contagious diseases spread easily
“Late one night, when we were all in bed, Mrs. O'Leary lit a lantern in the shed. Her cow kicked it over, Then winked her eye and said, "There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight!"
How can we improve this? “Lack of ventilation = main problem” Solution = dumbbell tenements Court wasted because of trash
Do we just not know about it? Uncle Tom’s Cabin (slaves) A Century of Dishonor (Indians) How the Other Half Lives (urban poor) Jacob Riis, reporter, publishes book in 1890 Describes living conditions in cities Led to legislation to improve tenements https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EACoIbokOcc
New Entertainment chapter 9, section 2
Flowchart
Vaudeville / Minstrel Show Inexpensive variety show Comic sketches (racial/ethnic humor), song/dance, magic acts Minstrel Shows Blackface (perpetuation of black stereotypes)
Vaudeville and Minstrel Shows Vaudeville – inexpensive variety shows, racial/ethnic humor Minstrel Shows – Performed in blackface and perpetuated black stereotypes