America’s Cities in the 1900s Urbanization America’s Cities in the 1900s

Americans Migrate to the Cities Immigrants flooding into the countries tended to settle in the nation’s urban centers. Some farmers began to move b/c cities offered more opportunities. Steel framed structures called skyscrapers began to dominate the landscape. The invention of the electric elevator, cable cars, and electric trolleys made cities more efficient. Elevated trains and New York’s subway system helped to eliminate traffic congestion.

High Society and Middle-class Gentility The wealthiest families established fashionable districts in the heart of a city. Their homes were lavish, and they commanded an army of servants, cooks, butlers, etc… The rising middle class included doctors, bankers, lawyers, engineers, teachers, etc… Many moved away from the business of the cities and chose to live in the suburbs. Middle class homes usually had at least one or two servants. As a result women’s clubs that focused on reform or charitable work became very popular.

Potter Palmer’s Home in Chicago (Real Estate Tycoon)

Typical Middle Class Home and family

The Working Class and Family Economy The urban working class were generally crowded into filthy tenement apartments. Sometimes these apartments would be filled to capacity, or they would rent a space to a boarder to help supplement the family’s income. White, native-born men always earned more than women, African-Americans, or immigrants. Sometimes the whole family worked including children as young as 5.

The New immigrants A new type of immigrants were flooding into large cities. Most of these were born in Southern or Eastern Europe. There was a great deal of discrimination and mis-trust of these people b/c they spoke different languages, practiced different religions, and held different cultural practices. On the East coast these immigrants entered the U.S. through Ellis Island in NYC.

Ellis island and immigration

Typical Tenement Lifestyle

Reaction to The Tenement Life

Crime and Pollution Crime was a growing problem in urban America. Alcohol contributed to violent crime both inside and outside the home. Saloons were accused of “breeding poverty” and corrupting the youth by selling beer to children. Disease and pollution were huge threats b/c of improper sewage disposal. Epidemics of cholera and typhus were a result of these filthy conditions.

The Political machine The political machine was an informal political group designed to gain and keep power. This formed because cities had grown much faster than their governments. New city dwellers needed jobs, housing, food, heat, and police protection. In exchange for votes, political machines and the party bosses who ran them provided these services.

The Political Machine leads to corruption Fraud, bribes, and the graft caused much corruption within the network of the political machine. Powerful party bosses made an incredible amount of money while the people they served worked for next to nothing and lived in filthy tenements. William “Boss” Tweed was probably the most infamous and corrupt party boss at the time.