|
Urbanization in America
in the late 1800's:
Causes of Urbanization in America
The following table provides fast facts
and a brief overview about the history and causes of Urbanization in America.
Each of these elements are detailed in this article.
Causes of Urbanization in America
Causes of Urbanization in America:
The entrepreneurs, inventions and new
technologies of the Industrial Revolution
Causes of Urbanization in America:
The rural populations were displaced
by increasing agricultural efficiency prompting a move
from rural areas to the towns and cities. This led to
the Great Migration of African Americans in WW1
Causes of Urbanization in America:
The Industrialization of America that
led to the mechanization of industries and the emergence
of Factories and the Factory System
Causes of Urbanization in America:
Increased immigration levels from
Europe and the massive influx of immigrants to the
cities
Causes of Urbanization in America:
The industrial focus of the American
economy that gave rise to Big Business and Corporations
who had money to invest in new industries
Causes of Urbanization in America:
New technologies in construction,
particularly the use of steel during the Urbanization in
America
Causes of Urbanization in America:
New Technologies in Transportation
and Communications
Urbanization in America:
Causes of Urbanization in America
Urbanization in America
in the late 1800's:
Effects of Urbanization in America
The following table provides fast facts
and a brief overview about the history and effects of Urbanization in America:
Effects
of Urbanization in America
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Cheap
accommodation was developed as tall, narrow tenement
buildings in dark, crowded, unpleasant and unhealthy
living conditions
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Massive
rises in the population of cities during the
Urbanization in America
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Rapid
growth and lack of planning led to inadequate basic
facilities and services
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Pollution and poor sanitation led to deadly epidemics in
the towns an cities. A major reason for the rise of the
Conservation
Movement.
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Separation by class and neighborhoods
Effects of Urbanization in America:
High
levels of congestion alleviated by new transportation
systems
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Urban
sprawl -
the movement to more rural areas outside the central
city areas
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Rise in
crime due to poverty and lack of control
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Machine
Politics in cities based on bribery, corruption and
unfair business practices
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Rise in
Nativism in America
(anti-immigration) and resentment
towards immigrants
Effects of Urbanization in America:
Social
unrest - Poor living conditions led to riots and strikes
by workers
Urbanization in America:
Effects of Urbanization in America
Urbanization in America
in the late 1800's:
Benefits of Urbanization in America
The following table provides fast facts
and a brief overview about the history and benefits of Urbanization in America:
Benefits
of Urbanization in America
Benefits of Urbanization in America:
New
public transport systems were developed
Benefits of Urbanization in America:
New
styles of buildings (skyscrapers) were introduced made
possible by cheap steel and the invention of elevators.
Benefits of Urbanization in America:
New
roads and bridges were built during the Urbanization in
America
Benefits of Urbanization in America:
Increased employment opportunities
Benefits of Urbanization in America:
Cultural
advances with the establishment of museums and libraries
Benefits of Urbanization in America:
Recreational resources and parks were established during
the Urbanization in America
Benefits of Urbanization in America:
Easy access to goods and services - convenience and
variety
Urbanization in America: Benefits
of Urbanization in America
Urbanization in America
in the late 1800's:
History of Urbanization in America
The history of Urbanization
in America is inextricably linked to Industrialization and
Immigration. The incredible inventions of the First Industrial
Revolution, that
centered on textiles, agriculture, iron, and steam engine
technology,
provided farmers with the
McCormick Reaper, the
Cotton Gin and Cotton Spinning Machinery and revolutionized
farming methods in the United States
and led to the expansion of the mills. Steam power then led to the
invention of railroads and the Grain
Elevators, the "Prairie Skyscrapers" that enabled the fast transit of wheat and other grains to
market. Increased agricultural efficiency resulted in fewer jobs in
the farming areas and the rural population started looking to the
cities and towns for employment beginning urbanization in America.
The Second Industrial Revolution moved America from the Age of Iron
into the Age of Steel and replaced steam power with electric power.
Great factories were built, there were further advancements in
mechanization and transportation systems and these were all based in
the emerging towns and cities and the urbanization in America
increased at an incredibly rapid rate. For additional facts refer to
Industrial
Revolution Inventions.
History of Urbanization in America for kids: Growth Rate in the Cities
The history of Urbanization
in America can be seen in the growth rate of city populations. In
1840 the United States had only 131 cities by
1900 that number had risen to over 1,700.
People in rural areas moved to the towns and cities. Immigrants
flocked to the towns and cities. As a result, in just a few years
the United States transformed from an agrarian to an urban nation,
and the demographics of the country shifted dramatically. The
following table provides facts and statistics on the numbers of the
populations in the towns and cities between 1870 and 1920.
NAME OF CITY - POPULATION IN 1870
- POPULATION IN 1900 - POPULATION IN 1920
Boston: 250,525 - 560,892
- 748,060
Chicago: 298,977 - 1,698,575 - 2,701,705
Los Angeles: 5,728 - 102,479 - 576,673
New York: 1,478,103 - 3,437,202 - 5,620,048
Philadelphia: 1,293,687 - 1,350,000 - 1,823,779
Pittsburgh: 86,075 - 321,616 - 588,343
San Francisco: 149,473 - 342,782 - 506,676
Seattle: 1,107 - 237,194 - 315,312
NAME OF CITY - POPULATION IN 1870
- POPULATION IN 1900 - POPULATION IN 1920
Urbanization in America for kids: Effects of Urbanization in America - The
Tenement Buildings
The manufacturing centers of Business and industrialization were
centered in the towns and cities where the factories and factory
system attracted ever increasing numbers of both American and
immigrant workers. The workers had to be housed and the price of
real estate was becoming expensive.
Existing buildings, that had once been single-family dwellings, were
increasingly divided into cramped, multiple living housing to
accommodate the growing population - the tenement building was
created.
Additional floors were added and the open areas, that
once were the backyards, were also built on. The space
in existing tenements eventually ran out. A new form of
cheap tenement housing developed in which these new
buildings grew upward, rather than outward. The typical
tenement was usually built on a lot that was 25 feet
wide and 100 feet long, with less than 1 foot between
the tenements. The long, narrow tenement buildings were
typically 4 - 6 stories high and divided into small
apartments. It was not unusual
to find a whole family living in one small room often accommodating
more than ten people. They lived in unsanitary conditions, without
fire escapes or access to light - health and safety hazards and at
risk from lethal cholera epidemics. The rise of the tenements were
one of the Effects of Urbanization in America.
Urbanization in America for kids: Effects of Urbanization in America - The
Neighborhoods
The cities evolved into areas that contained the poor, the middle
class and the wealthy. Class separation evolved, based on the
neighborhoods where people lived and the houses they lived in. The
small percentage of wealthy people occupied the prime locations in
the center of the cities, near their businesses and banks. The
wealthy lived in massive, opulent houses, with stunning
architecture, designed to look like a chateau, villa or manor house.
The wages of the middle class were more than double those of the
poor and lived in comfortable 6-8 roomed houses. The poor lived in
crowded tenements in deplorable living conditions densely populated
and highly congested neighborhoods. Poor immigrants formed ethnic
enclaves in America's cities where members of minority groups lived
- referred to as ghettos.
Separation by class and stark contrasts between the resulting
neighborhoods fostered resentment and discontent and was one of the
Effects of Urbanization in America.
Urbanization in America for kids: Effects of Urbanization in America - Urban
Sprawl
The centers of cities became full of people and the richer
inhabitants moved outside the city center to escape the overcrowded,
dirty conditions to the suburbs with their clean, green spaces.
Tenements were also constructed on the outskirts of the city in
undesirable districts close to stockyards or slaughterhouses. The
movement to the more rural areas outside the central city areas is
referred to as Urban sprawl, yet another of the effects of
of Urbanization in America.
Effects of Urbanization in America: Urban Problems (Lack of
Planning)
The rapid urbanization in America was accelerated by
industrialization, technology, and the migration of people. The
sudden rise of towns and cities in America left little time for
rational urban planning. The lack of planning and a proper
infrastructure led to considerable social problems during
urbanization in America.
● Basic services such as adequate
fire and police departments were inadequate to meet the numbers
of city populations
● There was a lack of
adequate waste disposal systems
●
Sanitation was a huge
problem. The sewer systems were inadequate leading to high
amounts of untreated waste and raw sewage.
●
Vast numbers of people
shared just one toilet
●
Their was a lack of
hospitals and medical facilities
●
The lack of adequate
sanitation led to the contamination of the water supply
triggering deadly epidemics of cholera and typhoid fever
●
Pollution was another
major issue. In the early stages of urbanization horse waste was
left in the streets and the smoke that belched from the
factories and chimneys polluted the air
Effects of Urbanization in America - Urban Problems (Rise in Crime)
The sheer number of people and the lack of adequate police control
led to a rise in crime in the cities. The anonymous nature of the
cities and the teeming masses of inhabitants provided opportunities
for thieves and pickpockets. The consumption of alcohol increased as
people tried to escape from the boredom and drudgery of their daily
lives. There was no way out of the poverty trap. Children were
forced to work just enable poor families to survive. The prevalence
of
Child Labor
meant that the poor could not receive an education to
enable them to get better, skilled jobs. The levels of violence were
high, including the number of murders in the city. These were all
the worst effects of Urbanization in America.
Urbanization in America for kids: Immigration and Urbanization in America
The levels of immigration in the 1800's had a massive
impact on Urbanization in America. Between 1821 - 1830 143,439
immigrants arrived in America. The number of immigrants increased
each year and between 1881 - 1890 a total of 5,246,613 immigrants
arrived in America - for additional facts and information refer to
Immigration History. The majority of immigrants were unskilled
and flocked to the towns and cities in search of a new life and
employment in the factories. In 1890 the population of
New York City
approached 2 million and 42% of the inhabitants were foreign born.
The low paid, unskilled immigrants lived in the cheap dirty, crowded
conditions and faced discrimination in the workplace from native
workers.
Effects of Urbanization in America: Social Unrest
A wave of Nativism
(anti-immigration) in the 1880's was fueled by the
Labor Unions.
Mechanization and
Industrialization in
America saw new methods of mass production and
the emergence of huge factories and the Factory System during the
Urbanization of America. Industrialists
amassed great wealth which saw the
Rise of Big Business and Corporations
headed by advocates of
Social Darwinism,
the men who were called the
Robber Barons.
The greedy, unethical and ruthless 'Robber Barons'
exploited their workers who protested about their poor
wages and appalling living conditions which led to Riots and Strikes
in the towns and cities. Social unrest gave rise to reformers in the
Progressive Movement.
Effects of Urbanization in America: Machine Politics
The 1800's were marked
by bribery and corruption in politics at both state and federal
government levels. Bribery and corruption soon became a feature of
city politics which lacked proper, regulated government practices.
Machine Politics was a political system and the party held
control, led by "party bosses". The "party bosses" were professional
politicians who dominated city government and held power over their
"Machines" they used to get jobs done. Bribes were accepted from
building contractors and permits were sold to operate public
utilities, such as the transportation, water and power facilities.
The "machines" controlled voter loyalty by distributing political
and economic benefits such as jobs and city contracts. The political
machines and the party bosses exchanged votes for helping newcomers,
especially immigrants, with jobs, housing, police protection and
other services. Urban immigrant groups exerted tremendous voting
strength and voted in overwhelming numbers for the "party bosses"
and their political machines. Two of the most famous "party
bosses" were William M. “Boss” Tweed and George Plunkitt were based
in Tammany Hall and wielded power over the Machine Politics in New
York City. The system of Machine politics were one of the negative
effects of Urbanization of America, with its bribery and
corruption, that continued until the start of the 20th century.
Urbanization in America: Effects of Urbanization in America - New
Transportation Systems
The expansion of the cities led to the problem of transportation as
factories were not in easy walking distance from the houses.
Horse-drawn carriages had developed into the omnibus. Then, with
the technology of the railroads,
a street carriage on rails that was pulled by horses,
called a
Horse Car,
was invented. The Horse Car was one of the earliest
forms of public transport. With advances in Industrialization and
technology new transportation systems developed that ran on rails
and were propelled by electricity instead of horses.
These became known by a variety of names - the streetcar,
the trolleybus and the tram. Some cities went on to
create overhead railway systems and others went on to develop
underground transportation systems - the subway. The combination of
electricity and the production of cheap steel made these advances
that contributed to Urbanization in America enabled inhabitants to
travel to and from their city jobs.
Urbanization in America: Industrialization and Urbanization in
America - Skyscrapers
Taller commercial buildings began to be built in
cities, consisting of fire-proof, iron framed structures with deep
foundations. Industrialization in America led to the invention of
the elevator and electric lighting making these tall buildings
practical. The
Bessemer Process lowered the cost of steel production and
replaced cast iron. Urbanization in America literally moved to
another level when new buildings called 'Skyscrapers' were
developed. The method of building Skyscrapers used a grid of steel
beams and columns that were strong enough to support this new form
of tall buildings that shaped the architecture and skylines of the
cities in America.
Urbanization in America for kids: Industrialization and Urbanization in
America - Bridges
The development of cheap steel resulted in the building of bridges
in America. An example of this is the
Brooklyn Bridge,
the first steel-wire suspension bridge in the world,
that opened in 1883 that connected the cities of New York
(Manhattan) and Brooklyn.
Benefits of Urbanization in America: New York City
The lack of planning due to the rapid expansion of
towns and cities were addressed as the years passed.
Planners realized that it was important to address
the importance of the basic facilities of
inhabitants which led to a building boom in the
cities and towns. People also realized
the importance of creating areas for recreational
activities and the opportunity to socialize. An
example of this is the construction of
Central Park
in New York. Beauty and culture was brought to the
city with a sweeping parkland with a variety of
unusual trees, plants and flowers. Classic styles of
architecture were used in the buildings in Central
Park, together with elegant fountains and statues of
famous people to bring culture to New Yorkers. The
Brooklyn Bridge connected Manhattan and Brooklyn and
in 1898 the
City of Greater New York
consolidated the existing city with Staten Island,
East Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens County.
Benefits of Urbanization in America
Other benefits of Urbanization in America included
the building and establishment of museums, theaters,
art galleries and libraries. Important facilities
such as hospitals were built improving the health
and survival rates of inhabitants. A variety of jobs
were available and the standard of living of most
inhabitants were improved. Access to goods and
services adds to convenience and the range of items
available.
Urbanization in America:
United States History for Kids - Video of US Presidents
The article on
Urbanization in America provides detailed facts and a summary of the
causes, effects and benefits to the cities and towns during the history of the
United States
- a crash course in
American History. The following video will
give you additional important facts, history and dates about the
personal and political lives of all the US Presidents.
Urbanization in America:
Causes, Effects and Benefits
● Interesting Facts about Urbanization in America for kids and schools
● Summary of Urbanization in America in US history
● Urbanization in America, a major
event in US history
● Causes, Effects and Benefits of
Urbanization in America -
● Fast, fun facts about Urbanization in America
● Urbanization in America and the
Causes, Effects and Benefits
● Causes, Effects and
Benefits of Urbanization in America
for schools,
homework, kids and children |
