Topic 4: Life in Industrial America Key Terms

Urbanization

refers to the rapid growth of cities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a result of industrialization and immigration. Cities like Chicago and New York swelled with new arrivals, including rural migrants and European immigrants. By 1920, over half of Americans lived in urban areas. Urbanization transformed American society, fueling economic growth but also creating crowded slums and new social problems.

Jacob Reis

a Danish immigrant and journalist who documented the living conditions of the urban poor in New York City during the late 1800s. He used photography and writing to expose poverty and tenement life. His 1890 book How the Other Half Lives gained national attention. Riis helped spark the Progressive movement by drawing attention to the need for housing and urban reform.

How the Other Half Lives

Published in 1890 by Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives was a pioneering work of photojournalism that revealed the harsh realities of slum life in New York City. It combined stark photographs and vivid descriptions to document overcrowded tenements, poor sanitation, and poverty. The book shocked middle-class readers and influenced reformers like Theodore Roosevelt. It was a turning point in public awareness of urban inequality and led to calls for housing reform.

Social Gospel

a religious and social movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that applied Christian ethics to address social injustices such as poverty, inequality, and poor working conditions. Leaders like Washington Gladden and Walter Rauschenbusch argued that Christianity should be used to improve society. The movement inspired support for labor reforms, public health, and education. It laid the moral foundation for the Progressive Era.

Settlement Houses

were community centers established in poor urban neighborhoods in the late 1800s to help immigrants and the working class. Jane Addams’ Hull House in Chicago was the most famous example. These institutions offered education, childcare, job training, and cultural programs. Settlement houses became a hub for social reform and women's activism, bridging the gap between middle-class reformers and the urban poor.

Boss Tweed

the powerful leader of New York City’s Tammany Hall political machine during the 1860s and 1870s. He used his position to control elections and government contracts, amassing vast wealth through corruption. Although eventually jailed, Tweed’s reign showcased the influence of political machines in urban governance. His actions led to increased public demand for political reform and accountability.

Tammany Hall

was the Democratic Party political machine that dominated New York City politics in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It provided social services and jobs to immigrants in exchange for votes, gaining immense political power. While known for corruption, it also helped immigrants adjust to urban life. Tammany Hall illustrates both the social support and exploitation found in machine politics.

Political machines

were organized groups that controlled city governments, particularly during the Gilded Age. They relied on patronage and voter loyalty, especially from immigrants, to maintain power. Machines like Tammany Hall provided jobs and aid in exchange for political support. While often corrupt, they filled gaps left by inadequate government services in rapidly growing cities.

The Great Migration

the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to northern cities between 1910 and 1970, starting in large numbers during World War I. Driven by racial violence and economic hardship, migrants sought jobs in northern factories and better living conditions. Cities like Chicago and Detroit saw large increases in Black populations. This migration reshaped the social, political, and cultural landscape of the United States.