Cities Grow and Change
Chapter 18 Section 3
In the late 1800’s more and more Americans moved from rural farmlands to big
cities.
Urbanization: is the rapid growth of city populations
The reason why so many people moved to cities was because cities attracted
industry and industry attracted people.
Many cities were located near waterways, because they provided easy transport
of goods for industry. (Example: New York City, San Francisco)
New Technology helped cities grow
Electric Street Car, Electric Subway, Steel Bridges, allowed Cities to spread
out to house their growing populations.
As cities grew outward many cities took on the same characteristics.
Poor Families inhabited the oldest sections near the city’s center.
Middle Class Families lived farther out in row houses.
Rich Families lived on the outskirts of the city in fine homes
Rapid urbanization brought many problems
Fire was a constant threat in tightly packed neighborhoods.
In 1871, fire engulfed Chicago.
Winds blew flame across the city , and the fire leveled 3 square
miles of downtown, killed 300 people, and left 18,000 homeless.
In downtown slums, the poor lived in terrible conditions.
Tenements: building divided into many apartments.
-Most had no windows, heat or indoor plumbing
-Often 10 people could live in a single room
Slum streets were littered with garbage
Outbreaks of cholera and other diseases were common.
Babies ran the greatest risk, and in one Chicago slum half of all
babies died before the age of one.
In the 1880’s, cities began
to improve urban life.
They setup streetlights, and
set up fire, police, and
sanitation departments.
Mother Cabrini was a
Catholic Nun
Cabrini set up hospitals and
clinics for people who could
not afford a doctor
Reformers- people who want to
change the way things are.
Jane Addams: is a reformer who
worked hard for the city poor.
Settlement House: is a center
offering help to the urban poor
At settlement houses, volunteers
taught English to immigrants
sponsored music and sports for
young people, and provided
nurseries for children of working
mothers.
In 1889 she opened Hull house, a
settlement house in the slums of
Chicago.
Excitement of City Life
In the 1850’s Frederick Law Olmstead planned Central Park in New York City.
Long Hours on the job made people value their free time
Parks, Zoos, and Gardens allowed urban dwellers to enjoy green grass and open air.
Museums, Orchestras, Art Gallery’s, and Theatres all sprung up in cities
Circuses drew audiences with elephants, lions, acrobats, and clowns
In 1876 The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs formed.
A game could draw as many as 5,000 fans.
African American players were banned from the majors in the
1880’s, so they formed their own professional baseball league.