“America Moves to the City” Chapter 25 “America Moves to the City”

Urban Landscape 1870-1900-America’s population doubled; city population tripled Cities grew up and out Skyscrapers perfected Louis Sullivan, pioneer architect Chicago (1885)

Continued Electricity, trolleys, indoor plumbing, and telephones lured people to cities Department stores-Macy’s (NYC) and Marshall Fields (Chicago) provided urban working-class jobs/attracted shoppers

Continued Sister Carrie -written by Theodore Dreiser, told of a woman’s escapades in the big city Made cities look attractive, dazzling

Urban Problems Overcrowding Transportations shortages Increase in crime Fire danger Unsanitary conditions Poor housing-tenements, row houses Little sanitation Crammed with people Dark, little ventilation

Continued Impure water, uncollected garbage, unwashed bodies, and animal droppings made cities smelly and unsanitary Many wealthy city-dwellers fled to outskirts of cities to escape

New Immigrants Until 1880’s, most immigrants came from Western Europe and British Isles (Germany, Scandinavia) Most were literate, accustomed to representative governments Referred to as “old immigrants”

Continued By 1890’s, a great deal of “new immigrants” poured into U.S. From Southeastern Europe Baltic and Slavic people By 1900, over 60% of immigrants from SE Europe Ellis Island-main immigration station in New York Harbor

SE European Immigration Pull Factors: Jobs available due to Industrial Revolution in U.S. Political, economic and religious issues Family “Land of opportunity” Availability of land

Continued Many did not assimilate into American culture as easily Some settled in ethnic neighborhoods Experienced culture shock U.S. became a “melting pot”

Reactions to New Immigrants Government did little to help immigrants adjust to American life Often controlled by powerful political bosses Provided jobs and support in exchange for political support at polls See clip of “Far and Away”

Continued Social Gospel Movement Belief that Christians were responsible for helping clean up city life and tackle burning social issues/ills of the day

Settlement Houses Started by social reformers Helped immigrants become “Americanized”-language, jobs, education, health care, etc. Became centers for female activism and reform/Ex: Florence Kelley, fought to protect female workers and against child labor Hull House, Chicago, founded by Jane Addams

Surge of Nativism Old immigrants began to look down on new immigrants Feared a mixing of blood would ruin the fairer Anglo-Saxon races and create inferior offspring Trade unionists hated new immigrants for willingness to work for super-low wages and bringing in socialist/communist ideas

“Looking Backward”-1893, Puck

Continued Labor leaders tried to restrict immigration (scabs) American Protective Association organized Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) In the midst of Anti-Immigrant climate, Statue of Liberty arrived from France in 1886

Churches Confront Urban Challenges Some felt Satan winning battle between good and evil Urban Revivalists Dwight L. Moody-gospel of kindness and forgiveness Moody Bible Institute-Chicago (1889)

Continued Growth in Roman Catholic/Jewish faiths with the new immigrant populations growing By 1890, Americans could choose from 150 denominations New Salvation Army-tried to help the poor and unfortunate

Continued Church of Christ Founded by Mary Baker Eddy Preached preservation of Christianity that she claimed healed sickness

Continued YMCA, YWCA’s sprouted up Modernists stepped out from fundamentalists Refused to believe the Bible was completely accurate and factual On the Origin of Species -Charles Darwin (1859)

Educational Changes New Trends: Creation of more public schools Free textbooks funded by taxpayers By 1900, 6,000 high schools in U.S. Kindergartens increased Curriculum expanded beyond three R’s Catholic schools grew in number and popularity Chautauqua Movement-1874-public lectures to many people by famous writers; extensive home studies

Continued Colleges and universities sprouted up after Civil War Vassar-college for women Howard University, Atlanta University, Hampton Institute Morill Act of 1862-generous grant of public lands to state for support of education Hatch Act of 1887-fed funds for establishment of agricultural experiment stations

Continued Private donations went toward the establishment of colleges Ex: University of Chicago, funded by John D. Rockefeller

Education for African-Americans Booker T. Washington Founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama Students taught practical skills and trades Washington did not talk much about social equality; said Blacks must help themselves by being educated first Side note….Student, George Washington Carver, later discovered new uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans

Continued WEB DuBois-first black to get a PhD from Harvard Demanded complete equality for blacks and immediate action Founded the NAACP in 1909 Side note….Washington from the South and DuBois from the North, reflects different attitudes in 2 regions

Appeal of the Press Libraries opened across the U.S. Invention of linotype (1885), press kept pace with demand Competition sparked “yellow journalism”-sensationalized, exaggerated stories on scandal, sex, and other human interest stories

Journalistic Icons Joseph Pulitzer- New York World William Randolph Hearst- San Francisco Examiner Associated Press-established in the 1840’s-more reliable

Postwar Writing Dime novels-depicted the Wild West and other romantic, adventurous settings Harland Halsey Horatio Alger-”rags to riches” stories Walt Whitman-old writer- Leaves of Grass Emily Dickinson-famed hermit poet Mark Twain-Samuel Clemens, real name Stephen Crane Jack London Frank Norris

Families and Women in the Cities Urban families under much stress Everyone had to work, even kids under 10 Farms-more children=more help Cities-more children=more mouths to feed, more poverty

Continued Charlotte Perkins Gilman/Feminist thought Published “Women and Economics”-called for women to abandon their dependent status; contribute to larger life of community Advocated day-care centers and centralized nurseries and kitchens

Women’s Suffrage National American Woman Suffrage Association (1890) Led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton By 1900, new generation of suffragists led by Carrie Chapman Catt Ida B. Wells-formed National Association of Colored Women in 1896

Prohibition/Social Progress Alcohol was a concern National Prohibition Party formed in 1869 Women’s Christian Temperance Union-called for national prohibition Leaders Carrie Nation, Frances Willard

Continued Anti-Saloon League-1893 American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals-1866 American Red Cross-Clara Barton-1881

Artistic Achievements Art largely suppressed first half of 1800’s Thomas Eakins-great realist painter Winslow Homer-painted typical New England scenes-ex: schools Music reached new heights-erection of opera houses and emergence of jazz Thomas Edison-invented phonograph-reproduction of sound Architecture-Columbian Exposition-1892-Chicago-displayed many architectural achievements

Late 1800’s Amusement Barnum and Bailey started “The Greatest Show on Earth”-circus Wild West Shows-Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley Baseball-America’s pastime Football and Wrestling gained popularity In 1891, James Naismith invented basketball