America Moves to the City: 1865-1900

A review of key vocabulary terms related to the urbanization of America between 1865 and 1900.

Urbanization

The process of cities growing as more people move from rural areas to urban centers.

Skyscraper

A tall, continuously habitable building that is usually designed for commercial use.

Mass transit

Public transportation systems that carry large numbers of people, such as buses, subways, and trolleys.

Tenement

A type of building that provides inexpensive housing for the urban poor, often overcrowded and unsanitary.

New Immigrants

Immigrants who arrived in the U.S. from southern and eastern Europe, beginning in the 1880s.

Nativism

A policy of favoring native inhabitants over immigrants.

Settlement House

Community centers in urban areas that offered services to help immigrants assimilate into society.

Consumerism

The culture of purchasing goods and services, which gained prominence in urban settings.

Prohibition

The legal act of prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages.

Ghetto

A part of a city where members of a minority group live, often characterized by poverty and neglect.

Assimilation

The process whereby individuals or groups of differing ethnicity are absorbed into the dominant culture.

The Social Gospel

A religious movement that aimed to apply Christian ethics to social problems.

Electrification

The process of powering by electricity, which transformed urban life with technology like electric streetcars.

Hull House

A settlement house founded by Jane Addams in Chicago to aid immigrants.

Census

An official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals.

Dumbbell tenement

A type of tenement with a long narrow shape, designed to maximize space but often resulting in poor living conditions.

Polarization

The division of two opposing groups, especially in the context of social classes within urban environments.

Slum

A highly populated urban area characterized by substandard housing and squalor.

Boss Tweed

A notorious political boss of New York City's Tammany Hall who exploited immigrants' needs for his benefit.

American Protective Association

A nativist organization formed in 1887 that opposed immigration, particularly from Catholic countries.

Bureaucracy

A system of government or management characterized by excessive complexity and division of responsibility.

Consumer culture

A social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts.

Cultural assimilation

The process by which a person's or a group's language and culture come to resemble those of another group.

Criminality in urban areas

The rise of crime in rapidly growing cities, often exacerbated by poverty and lack of social services.

Labor unions

Organized associations of workers formed to protect and further their rights and interests.

Urban sprawl

The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into the surrounding rural land.

Land-grant colleges

Colleges and universities created through the Morrill Act of 1862 offering higher education based on land donations.

Social reformers

Individuals or groups who aim to improve society and solve social issues.

Public education

The provision of schooling for all children, which expanded significantly during this period.

Women’s suffrage

The right of women to vote, a key issue championed by various activist groups.

Public health

The health of the population as a whole, often coordinated by governmental public health services.

Artistic patronage

Financial support extended to artists by wealthy individuals and institutions.

Pragmatism

A philosophical approach that assesses the truth of beliefs in terms of their practical consequences.

Isolationism

A national policy of avoiding political or economic entanglements with other countries.

Philanthropy

The desire to promote the welfare of others, often through the donation of money or resources.

Civic engagement

Individual or collective actions aimed at solving community problems or addressing public issues.

Emigration

The act of leaving one's own country to settle in another.

Industrial labor

Jobs related to manufacturing, typically characterized by the use of machinery and production lines.

Electoral politics

The political process associated with the election of representatives and the operation of the electoral system.

Cultural diversity

The existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic groups within a society.

Housing crisis

A situation where there is a lack of affordable housing, often in urban centers.

Urban poverty

A socio-economic condition where individuals or families living in urban areas experience financial hardship.

Civic responsibility

The responsibilities of citizens to engage in the public sphere and contribute to the wellbeing of their community.

New York's Little Italy

A neighborhood in New York City known for its large population of Italian immigrants.

Women's roles in society

The societal expectations and responsibilities placed on women, particularly during urbanization.

Cultural retention

The practice of maintaining and celebrating cultural identity amidst change.

Jews as New Immigrants

A significant group among the New Immigrants fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe.

The Great Migration

The movement of millions of African Americans from rural areas of the South to urban areas in the North.

Mechanization

The process of introducing machines into the workforce, often leading to job displacement.

Development of mass media

The evolution of communication channels like newspapers, magazines, and eventually radio and television.

Statistics on urban growth

Census data showing the rapid increase in city populations and the demographic shifts.

Access to education for immigrants

The challenges faced by immigrant populations in obtaining education for themselves and their children.

Public sanitation

The development of sanitation systems aimed at maintaining hygiene in urban areas.

Arts and music diversification

The emergence of new forms of artistic expression in urban cultures.

Technology's impact on lifestyle

How innovations, such as electricity and transportation, changed daily living in urban settings.

Economic opportunities for women

The expansion of job options available to women during urbanization.

Urbanization is the process of cities growing as more people move from _ areas to urban centers.

rural

A _ is a community center in urban areas that offered services to help immigrants assimilate into society.

Settlement House

The legal act of prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages is known as _.

Prohibition

A highly populated urban area characterized by substandard housing and squalor is referred to as a _.

slum

The rise of crime in rapidly growing cities is often exacerbated by poverty and lack of social _.

Jane Addams

Founded Hull House in Chicago to aid immigrants and promote social reform.

Boss Tweed

A notorious political boss of New York City's Tammany Hall who exploited immigrants' needs for his benefit.

Theodore Roosevelt

Advocated for progressive reforms, addressing urban issues such as public health and education.

Booker T. Washington

Promoted industrial education for African Americans and was a key figure during The Great Migration.

Jacob Riis

A journalist and social reformer who exposed the poor living conditions in tenements through his book 'How the Other Half Lives.'

W.E.B. Du Bois

A civil rights activist and co-founder of the NAACP who advocated for the rights of African Americans and opposed Booker T. Washington's approach.

Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones

A labor organizer who played a significant role in the labor movement, advocating for workers' rights and child labor reforms.

Florence Kelley

A social and political reformer who worked to improve conditions for workers, especially women and children, and was instrumental in the formation of the National Consumers League.

Langston Hughes

A central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, he was a poet and social activist who focused on African American cultural identity.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A feminist and sociologist known for her work 'The Yellow Wallpaper,' which critiqued the treatment of women and advocated for women's economic independence.