Rise of the City

From Farm to City Before the Civil War most people lived on farms –1860 urban population of 6 million By 1900 most people lived in urban areas –1910 urban population of 44 million –Industrial Revolution was responsible for urban growth – jobs –New social problems developed Ethnic rivalry of immigrants Poor sanitation and health Food and housing shortages Pollution from factories

From Farm to City Continued

Allure of the City Folklore of the city drew in country youth –for whom country life can be frustrating from isolation from “modern” society –Left for work opportunities, adventure and freedom –Entire regions were abandoned African–Americans –Following the Civil War African- American migration flowed to northern cities –In search of work and a better way of life –Cities such as Detroit, New York and Chicago became major destination for migration

Tenements Tenements – Rented houses or congested apartment buildings found in urban areas –Often slum like conditions, accommodating the cities poor and immigrants –Poor ventilation, poor heating, and lack of sewer lead to bad health –Over crowded –Infectious disease common –Made of wood – fire hazard –Poverty = Crime, dangerous to live

Tenements Continue By % of New York’s residents resided in Tenement housing – 1.6 million people living in 42,700 units

Vertical Expansion Conventional brick buildings only go five stories up – limit growth Skyscrapers, which use steel frames, can reach 100 plus stories – limitless growth The Bessemer Process allowed steel to be made at a cheap and fast rate – allowing rapid construction Edison's use of electricity provided power for lights and elevators – which allowed buildings to be built higher Radiators provided heat

Horizontal Expansion Era of horse and steam – people could not live far from place of employment – time constraint Electricity and steel allowed people build mass transit –Trolley Systems –Cable Car Systems –Subway Systems Mass transit allowed large numbers of people to become commuters Middle and upper class left the cities and moved to edge of cities – AKA Suburbs – poor stayed in city unable to pay fare Urban sprawl often took place without plan

Politics New type of government needed to run a city –Central organization to coordinate citywide services Transportation Sanitation Utilities Taxes Etc…

Politics Continued Political Machines –Political parties who controlled all aspects of a city and city life Often corrupt in nature –Undemocratic and authoritarian –Buying and selling of votes –Kickbacks and payoffs Ran by party “Bosses” Engaged in need public services, gained popularity with the population – allowed corruption to exist –Food, heat, clothing, money for poor –Housing and jobs for immigrants –Sponsored sports teams and cultural events

City Environment Cities in 1900 were generally filthy and disease ridden –Water quality was poor and sewage dumped in the street Cholera Typhoid Fever Yellow Fever –Animals roamed freely Pigs and horses produced 100’s pounds manure yearly –No trash collection –Factories caused pollution and poor smelly air quality –City rivers became dumps and sewers

City Environment Sanitary Reformers – Government and civil reformers invested in health reforms –Trash collection –Street Cars –Screws and clean water systems –Manure collected and sent to farms outside city