19th Century US Urbanization

• Urbanization in the late 19th century saw significant shifts in population and societal structures in America.

The Urbanization of America

• Southern African Americans migrated to cities, especially in the North, seeking to escape poverty and oppression.
• New immigrants in the 1890s and later differed from earlier immigrants; they were attracted to the U.S. by economic opportunities and freedom.
• Social institutions and community actions aided immigrant adjustment, but assimilation caused strains; native-born Americans had mixed views on assimilation.
• Efforts to restrict immigration led to specific restrictions on certain ethnic groups and types of immigrants.

The Urban Landscape

• The desire to create expanded public spaces and buildings in American cities led to lasting legacies in urban design.
• Residential suburbs developed around big cities as people sought to escape the congestion and pollution of urban centers.
• The working class and the poor lived in stark contrast to the wealthy; big city life for the poor was characterized by overcrowding and poverty.
• Urban mass transit evolved significantly from the Civil War era to the turn of the century, facilitating urban expansion.
• Technological innovations like steel-frame construction and elevators made skyscrapers possible and desirable.

Strains of Urban Life

• Big cities struggled with fire, disease, and sanitation; dense urban development had significant environmental implications.
• The middle class often held unsympathetic views toward widespread urban poverty.
• Violent crime was prevalent; cities responded with increased policing and reforms.
• Political machines rose due to factors such as immigrant support and structural weaknesses in city governments; boss rule had both positive and negative aspects.

The Rise of Mass Consumption

• The urban middle and working classes experienced changes in income and purchasing power; the middle class saw greater gains.
• Mass-market products, chain stores, mail-order outlets, and department stores impacted American families, especially women, by changing shopping habits and access to goods.

Leisure in the Consumer Society

• Americans began to change their attitudes toward leisure and consumption, influenced by factors like increased income and urbanization.
• Approaches to leisure varied by class, with the wealthy enjoying more exclusive activities.
• Baseball and football became popular spectator sports, reflecting Americans' increased leisure time.
• Women's sports began to emerge, breaking traditional gender roles.
• Popular entertainment included vaudeville, movies, and amusement parks; class considerations shaped the types of activities enjoyed.
• The Fourth of July was an important holiday, celebrated differently in the South.
• Journalism and publishing underwent important changes, including the rise of national press services and "yellow journalism."

High Culture in the Age of the City

• Realist novelists explored social issues with a focus on truth and accuracy.
• Movements in American visual art reflected the contrast between genteel and modern approaches.
• Darwinism challenged traditional faith, contributing to a schism between cosmopolitan and traditional values.
• The new social sciences impacted the intellectual view of contemporary and historic America.
• Free public schooling expanded in the U.S., though some parts of the nation lagged.
• Government and private actions led to the establishment or expansion of universities and colleges after the Civil War.
• Higher education opportunities for women increased, with the rise of women's colleges.

America in the World: Global Migrations

• Negative factors ("push") motivated Europeans and others to leave; positive factors ("pull") attracted them to the U.S..
• European empires encouraged migration to new lands for various reasons.
• More Europeans than non-Europeans migrated to the U.S. due to established networks and opportunities.

Patterns of Popular Culture: Coney Island

• Coney Island reflected the new culture of mass consumption by offering entertainment and attractions.
• New ideas about leisure contributed to Coney Island's popularity.
• Modern forms of popular culture continue Coney Island's tradition of escapism and excitement.

Identification Terms

• Immigrant ghettos: Neighborhoods where immigrants of the same ethnic group lived, preserving their culture.
• Reform Judaism: A liberal branch of Judaism that adapted religious practices to modern life.
• American Protective Association: An anti-immigrant organization that sought to restrict immigration.
• Immigration Restriction League: Advocated for literacy tests and other measures to limit immigration.
• Frederick Law Olmsted: A landscape architect who designed Central Park and other public spaces.
• Columbian Exposition: A world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 that showcased American progress and culture.
• "Streetcar suburbs": Residential areas that developed along streetcar lines, allowing people to live outside the city center.
• Tenement: A crowded and unsanitary apartment building, often housing poor immigrants.
• Jacob Riis: A photographer and journalist who documented the living conditions of the poor in New York City.
• Brooklyn Bridge: A suspension bridge that connected Brooklyn and Manhattan, symbolizing American engineering.
• Louis Sullivan: An architect who designed skyscrapers, emphasizing functionalism.
• Public Health Service: A government agency that worked to improve public health and sanitation.
• Salvation Army: A charitable organization that provided assistance to the poor and homeless.
• William M. Tweed: The boss of Tammany Hall, a political machine that controlled New York City politics.
• Sears Roebuck: A mail-order company that sold a wide variety of goods to rural Americans.
• National Consumers League: Advocated for consumer protection and fair labor practices in the workplace.
• World Series: The championship series of Major League Baseball, reflecting the growing popularity of sports.
• National College Athletic Association (NCAA): Regulates college sports and ensures fair competition.
• James A. Naismith: The inventor of basketball.
• George M. Cohan: A songwriter, playwright, and performer known for his patriotic songs and musicals.
• Irving Berlin: A songwriter who wrote many popular songs, including "God Bless America."
• Vaudeville: A type of variety show that featured a mix of acts, including music, comedy, and dance.
• D. W. Griffith: A film director who pioneered many cinematic techniques.
• Scott Joplin: A composer and pianist known for his ragtime music.
• William Randolph Hearst: A newspaper publisher who used "yellow journalism" to attract readers.
• "Yellow journalism": Sensationalized and exaggerated news reporting.
• Theodore Dreiser: A novelist who wrote about the social and economic problems of his time.
• "Pragmatism": A philosophy that emphasizes practical consequences and experience.
• Carlisle School: A boarding school for Native American children that aimed to assimilate them into American culture.
• "Land-grant" college: A college that received federal land to support agricultural and mechanical education.

Multiple Choice Answers

• Faster rate of growth for the cities than for the general population.
• Provided services and facilities inadequate to demands.
• Large influx of new residents.
• Poverty and oppression of the South.
• Did all of the above.
• Tended to reinforce the cultural values of their previous societies.
• Refusal of most immigrants and their children to attempt to assimilate themselves into American culture.
• Advocated the screening of immigrants through literacy tests.
• Chinese, convicts, paupers, and mental incompetents
• Stayed in the city centers and rented living space.
• Slum dwellings with inadequate light, plumbing, and heat.
• Electric elevators, steel girder construction
• William M. Tweed.
• The absence of reform groups to mobilize public outrage against boss rule.
• The breakup of marketing monopolies held by national chain stores.
• A variety of acts including musicians, singers, comedians, magicians, jugglers, dancers, and the like.
• Standardization of the news.
• Influenced new ways of thinking in the social sciences.
• Scientific inquiry.
• Increased emphasis on the classical curriculum at the university level.