Late 19th-century cities saw significant changes in size and internal structure.
Streetcar Cities
Urban transportation improvements allowed for growth beyond walking distances.
Transition from horse-drawn transportation to electric trolleys, elevated railroads, and subways by the 1890s.
Development of bridges (e.g., Brooklyn Bridge, 1883) facilitated longer commutes.
Mass transportation led to socioeconomic segregation; the upper/middle class moved to suburbs, while the working poor, many being immigrants, remained in cities.
Skyscrapers
Cities expanded upward due to increased land values in central business districts.
First true skyscraper (Home Insurance Co., 1885) featured a steel skeleton; made possible by innovations like the Otis elevator.
Skyscrapers became dominant features of urban skylines by 1900.
Ethnic Neighborhoods
As affluent citizens left urban areas, the poor moved in, leading to overcrowded conditions.
Landlords created slums and tenement apartments; New York City mandated windows in bedrooms via a 1879 law, leading to "dumbbell tenements".
Slum conditions fostered the spread of diseases (e.g., cholera, tuberculosis).
Ethnic neighborhoods emerged, reflecting distinct immigrant cultures, languages, and social structures, acting as springboards for achieving the American dream despite poor living conditions.