Section 3 – pg 494 Cities Grow and Change Chapter 14 Section 3 – pg 494 Cities Grow and Change

Rapid Growth of Cities: Urbanization Pg 494 Rapid Growth of Cities: Urbanization Urbanization: the rapid growth of city populations In 1860, only 1 in 5 Americans lived in a city By 1890, 1 in 3 lived in a city For the first time, America had cities the size of London and Paris Cities attracted industry which attracted people Ppl migrated to the cities in search of jobs and excitement Most fast growing cities were near waterways Waterways allowed for easy transportation of goods

Growing Out and Up Pg 495 New technology helped cities grow Elevated trains carried passengers over crowded streets In 1887, the first electric streetcar system opened in Richmond, Virginia 1897, first electric subway trains ran beneath Boston

Bridges also allowed cities to spread out Pg 495 Public transportation led to suburbs (living areas on the outskirts of a city) Ppl no longer had to live in the city to work in the city Bridges also allowed cities to spread out 1883: Brooklyn Bridge linked the city to Manhattan

Cities began to spread upward 1885: architects in Chicago constructed the first 10-story building Called it a “skyscraper” b/c it seemed to touch the sky By 1900, steel-framed skyscrapers were up to 30 stories Electric elevators whisked office workers to the upper floors As cities grew, living patterns changed Poor families crowded into the oldest sections in the middle Middle-class ppl lived farther out in row houses or new apartment buildings The rich built fine homes on the outskirts of the city Pg 495

Problems of Urban Life Pg 495 Urbanization brought many problems Fire was a constant threat in packed neighborhoods In 1871, fire engulfed Chicago Winds blew the fire across the city Leveled 3 square miles of downtown, killed 300 people, and left 18,000 homeless

Pg 496 Tenement Life In downtown slums, the poor lived in bleak conditions Tenements: buildings divided into many tiny apartments Many had no windows, heat, or indoor plumbing 10 ppl might live in a single room Several families shared a single bathroom Slum streets were littered w/ garbage Outbreaks of cholera and other diseases were common About half of babies in the slums died before the age of 1

Improving City Life Pg 496 In the 1880s, cities began to improve urban life Installed streetlights, and set up fire, sanitation, and police departments Public health officials tried to stop the spread of diseases Religious groups served the poor Mother Cabrini, a Catholic nun, set up hospitals and clinics for ppl who could not afford a doctor The Salvation Army, founded by a Methodist minister, gave food, clothing, and shelter to the homeless

Pg 496 Settlement Houses Reformers like Jane Addams worked hard for poor city dwellers Came from a wealthy family, but felt sympathy for the poor 1889: opened Hull House Settlement house: a center offering help to the urban poor Volunteers taught English to immigrants Sponsored music and sports for young ppl Provided nurseries for children of working mothers Addams and other settlement house leaders also pressured state legislatures to outlaw child labor

The Excitement of City Life Pg 497 The Excitement of City Life Despite hardships, cities attracted newcomers Awed by electric lights, elevated railroads, and tall buildings

Pg 497 Department Stores To meet needs of shoppers, merchants developed a new type of store, the department store Earlier shirts, boots, and lamps were bought from different stores Department stores offered all of these in separate sections of the same store Elegant window displays advertised the goods for sale

Pg 497 Leisure Activities Long hours on the job made ppl value their free time Cities had museums, orchestras, art galleries, and theatres Circuses drew in ppl w/ elephants, lions, acrobats, and clowns In the 1850s, Frederick Law Olmsted planned Central Park in NY Parks, zoos, and gardens allowed urban ppl to enjoy green grass and open air

Pg 498 Sports After the Civil War, professional sports teams began to spring up in cities Most popular sport was baseball First pro team was the Cincinnati Red Stockings started in 1869 7 years later, teams from 8 cities formed the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs Games might draw 5,000 fans African American players were banned from the majors in the 1880s, so they formed their own pro baseball league

Football was also popular Pg 498 In 1891, James Naismith mailed 2 peach baskets to the walls of the gym in Springfield, MA Challenged players to throw a soccer ball into the basket Basketball became a popular winter sport Football was also popular Was brutal and dangerous, players did not have helmets In one season, 44 college players died of injuries