Progressive Era:Progressive Era:THE AGE OF THE CITYTHE AGE OF THE CITY

America begins life as an America begins life as an agrarianagrarian society but rapidly society but rapidly begins to begins to urbanize.urbanize.

TopicsTopics UrbanizationUrbanization Population GrowthPopulation Growth Immigration and MigrationsImmigration and Migrations The Ethnic CityThe Ethnic City Urban LandscapeUrban Landscape 1) Public Space1) Public Space 2) Housing2) Housing Problems of Urban LifeProblems of Urban Life Political MachinesPolitical Machines Mass ConsumptionMass Consumption LeisureLeisure Culture in the CityCulture in the City

The Lure of the City:The Lure of the City:page 500 page 500 ““We cannot all live in cities. Yet nearly We cannot all live in cities. Yet nearly

all seemed determined to do so.” all seemed determined to do so.”

Horace GreelyHorace Greely More and better- paying jobsMore and better- paying jobs ImmigrantsImmigrants Better transportationBetter transportation Declining farm regions of east Declining farm regions of east

West, cities of midwest and eastWest, cities of midwest and east

Population GrowthPopulation Growth

Total ImmigrationTotal Immigration

Sources of Immigration Sources of Immigration from Europe from Europe 1860 - 19001860 - 1900

African-American African-American MigrationMigration

The Ethnic CityThe Ethnic City::Milwaukee, WI 1850 - Milwaukee, WI 1850 -

1890 1890

Immigrants in the CityImmigrants in the City

Benefits of ethnic neighborhoodsBenefits of ethnic neighborhoods Those who arrived with a skill did Those who arrived with a skill did

better than those who did notbetter than those who did not Strength of ethnic ties vs. Strength of ethnic ties vs.

assimilationassimilation African – Americans, Asians and African – Americans, Asians and

Mexicans suffered the most Mexicans suffered the most discriminationdiscrimination

Changing Gender PatternsChanging Gender Patterns

The Urban LandscapeThe Urban Landscape: : A study in contrastsA study in contrasts

The Urban LandscapeThe Urban Landscape::Public SpacePublic Space Reformers, Reformers,

planners and planners and architects call for architects call for more ordered more ordered vision of the cityvision of the city

City PlanningCity Planning: : parks, libraries, parks, libraries, museums museums

Need for Need for Urban Urban PlanningPlanning becomes becomes evident as wellevident as well

The Urban Landscape 1850’sThe Urban Landscape 1850’s: : Central ParkCentral Park: Olmstead and : Olmstead and VauxVaux

Housing the Well -to -Housing the Well -to -dodo Due to cheap Due to cheap

labor, easy labor, easy access to tools access to tools more people are more people are able to buy able to buy homeshomes

Beacon Hill, Nob Beacon Hill, Nob Hill, Society Hill, Hill, Society Hill, Fifth AveFifth Ave

Housing Workers and the Housing Workers and the Poor: Poor: TenementsTenements

How the Other Half How the Other Half Lives(1890)Lives(1890)::

Jacob Riis documents slum lifeJacob Riis documents slum life

The Urban LandscapeThe Urban Landscape::Urban TransportationUrban Transportation

The Urban LandscapeThe Urban Landscape: : Population changes with Population changes with transportationtransportation

The Urban LandscapeThe Urban Landscape: : Cities grow upward as well as Cities grow upward as well as outwardoutward

Steel girder Steel girder constructionconstruction

Louis SullivanLouis Sullivan Frank Lloyd Frank Lloyd

Wright will later Wright will later apply techniques apply techniques to shorter to shorter buildingsbuildings

Problems of Urban LifeProblems of Urban Life

FiresFires Disease –typhoid, cholera due to Disease –typhoid, cholera due to

poor sanitationpoor sanitation Air pollutionAir pollution PovertyPoverty High crime rates High crime rates

Great Chicago Fire 1871: Great Chicago Fire 1871: supposedly started by “Mrs. supposedly started by “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”O’Leary’s Cow”

Whole midwest Whole midwest was very drywas very dry

Streets were Streets were made of wood made of wood which helped fire which helped fire spreadspread

4 miles long area 4 miles long area burnedburned

The Aftermath of the The Aftermath of the Great Chicago FireGreat Chicago Fire

The LegendThe Legend

DiseaseDisease

Sanitation Sanitation standards were standards were lowlow

Raw sewage in the Raw sewage in the streets streets contaminated the contaminated the waterwater

Sewer systems not Sewer systems not complete until into complete until into the 20the 20thth century. century.

Urban PovertyUrban Poverty

Private and public Private and public agencies offered agencies offered limited relief, limited relief, thinking it would thinking it would cause dependencecause dependence

Salvation ArmySalvation Army Idea of self-Idea of self-

improvement improvement limited attention limited attention to sources of to sources of povertypoverty

Fear of the City/Crime Fear of the City/Crime and Violenceand Violence High crime ratesHigh crime rates AlienatingAlienating AnonymousAnonymous Limited Limited

connection with connection with workwork

Sister CarrieSister Carrie

The The Political MachinePolitical Machine and the Bossand the Boss Became a source Became a source

of assistance for of assistance for new immigrants, new immigrants, those who needed those who needed jobs and those in jobs and those in trouble with the trouble with the law- often in return law- often in return for votes.for votes.

Would give Would give supporters supporters government jobsgovernment jobs

Political MachinesPolitical Machines

The Rise of The Rise of Mass ConsumptionMass Consumption

Coincides with the rise Coincides with the rise of the of the middle class middle class = = demand for productsdemand for products

Chain stores, mail Chain stores, mail order productsorder products

WoolworthWoolworth The A & P The A & P Goods no longer being Goods no longer being

made at home, but made at home, but instead purchased in instead purchased in the consumer the consumer economyeconomy

Leisure: Thanks to the Leisure: Thanks to the 8 hour workday8 hour workday

Leisure : Sports: Leisure : Sports: Football:Football:originated in originated in universitiesuniversities

Baseball: The Baseball: The American National American National GameGame Baseball clubs Baseball clubs 1903: First 1903: First

modern World modern World Series. Red Sox Series. Red Sox beat the beat the Pittsburg PiratesPittsburg Pirates

Working class Working class gamegame

Mass communicationMass communication

Newspapers become more Newspapers become more importantimportant

American journalism becomes a American journalism becomes a professionprofession