Chapter 14.2 Terms, People, Key Questions

EAH Honors, Sophomore, 24-25

Urbanization

The process by which large numbers of people migrate from rural areas to cities, leading to the growth and expansion of urban areas.

Rural-to-Urban migrant

An individual who moves from a rural (countryside) area to an urban (city) area.

Skyscraper

A tall, multistory building. Used steel frames.

Elisha Otis

An American industrialist who invented the safety elevator in 1852. His invention prevented elevator cars from falling if the hoisting cables broke.

Mass Transit

Public transportation systems that carry large numbers of people at once, such as electric streetcars, subways, and commuter trains. Allowed cities to expand outward, giving way to suburbs.

Suburb

Residential areas located outside the central business district of a city. Allowed middle and upper classes to live in quieter, less crowded suburbs.

Frederick Law Olmstead

American landscape architect, designed numerous influential urban parks, like Central Park in NYC, aiming to provide green spaces for recreation and relaxation in crowded cities.

Electric Streetcar

A form of mass transit powered by electricity, running on tracks laid in city streets. This was invented in the 1880s, and they were faster and more efficient than horse-drawn trolleys.

Subway

An underground mass transit system. The first opened in Boston, providing a faster and more efficient way to move large numbers of people in densely populated areas.

American Institute of Architecture

A professional organization for architects in the USA, promoting the advancement of the architectural profession and playing a role in shaping urban development.

William LeBaron Jenney

An American architect, credited with designed the first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago. He pioneered the use of steel frames in tall buildings.

Chicago School

An influential group of architects in Chicago, known for their innovative contributions to the development of the skyscraper, emphasizing functional design, clear expression of structure, and the use of steel frames.

Dumbbell Tenement

A type of crowded, poorly ventilated apartment building common in late 19th century cities. There was a narrow shaft in the middle, aiming to meet legal requirements for windows in every room, but they failed to provide adequate light/air. Unsanitary and unhealthy living conditions.

City Planning

The process of designing and managing the physical growth and development of urban areas. Addressed the problems of urbanization by creating parks, designing mass transit systems, and implementing zoning laws.

Daniel Burnham

A leading American architect and urban planner of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The chief of construction for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893), making “White City”.

White City

1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the planned layout greatly influenced American urban planning.

Zoning

The practice of dividing a city into different districts and regulating the types of land used and building allowed in each zone. (EX: Residential, commercial, industrial)

Jacob Riis

A Danish-American social reformer, journalist, and photographer. Used vivid photographs and journalistic accounts to expose the squalid living conditions in NYC tenements, raising public awareness and spur urban reform.

Chicago Fire

1871, a devastating fire showing how dangerous tenements were, and the building materials. 200-300 ppl killed.

What problems might tenement living cause?

Overcrowding, poor sanitation, disease, fire hazards, lack of light and air, crime, social disintegration.

Why did cities of the late 19th century have many problems? What problems were created by urban living?

Rapid, unplanned growth due to industrialization and immigration. Overpopulation, poor housing, inadequate sanitation and health issues, crime and fire hazards, traffic congestion, pollution, social tensions.

How did public transportation change urban areas?

Enabled urban expansion, spurred suburban growth, improved commuting, reduced congestion, shaped urban layouts.

How did city planners try to improve city life?

Parks and green spaces, mass transit systems, infrastructure improvements, zoning laws, housing reforms.

Why did immigrants and rural migrants move to cities?

Push Factors (Rural) - Declining agricultural opportunities, increased mechanization on farms, lure of city life. Push Factors (Immigrants) - poverty, famine, war, political instability, religious persecution. Pull Factors - economic opportunities, social and cultural (cities=diverse), convenience (better access to transportation)

What challenges did city dwellers face, and how did they meet them?

Mutual Aid Societies, Settlement Houses, Political Machines, Social Reforms, Self-Help and Community, Public Services.