W

Notes on Urbanization and Immigration in the United States (1860-1970)

Population Growth: 1850 to 1910

  • Cities listed with populations (from Page 1):
    • New York
    • 1850: 696{,}115
    • 1910: 4{,}766{,}883
    • Chicago
    • 1850: 29{,}963
    • 1910: 2{,}185{,}283
    • Philadelphia
    • 1850: 121{,}376
    • 1910: 1{,}549{,}008
    • St. Louis
    • 1850: 77{,}864
    • 1910: 687{,}029
    • Boston
    • 1850: 136{,}881
    • 1910: 670{,}535
  • Observed trend: dramatic population growth in major U.S. cities from 1850 to 1910, indicating rapid urbanization and migration patterns during the industrial era.
  • Warm Up prompt (Page 1): "With a partner, come up with 4 reasons that caused this population growth". Note: No answers provided in the transcript; this is a prompt for student discussion.

Major Cities Growth: 1860-1890 (Urban Expansion and Mapping Activities)

  • Page 11 content (Growth of Cities 1860-1890) outlines a map/activity focused on:
    • Cities highlighted: Chicago, New York City, Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. Louis, New Orleans, and others.
    • Key features to identify: Major Cities, Railroad Networks, Improved Agricultural Land, and States & Territories.
    • Date options: Select 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 to view population and development changes.
    • Base map options include: Native Tribes of the West (1860), Geologic Features, Precipitation, None.
  • Significance: Illustrates how urban growth tracked with railroad expansion and agricultural development, highlighting interconnected regional development during this period.

Westward Expansion: 1860-1890 (Map-Based Overview)

  • Page 12 presents a second map focused on Westward Expansion with cities such as:
    • San Francisco, Denver, St. Paul, Rochester (New York), Boston, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Providence, Newark, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Omaha, Brooklyn, Jersey City, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Louisville, New Orleans.
  • Date options: 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890.
  • Features and base maps options mirror Page 11 (Major Cities, Railroad Networks, Improved Agricultural Land, States & Territories, Native Tribes of the West, Geologic Features, Precipitation, None).
  • Purpose: to visualize the spread of population, growth of transportation networks, and territorial changes accompanying westward movement.

Major Causes of Urban Growth (Immigration and Industrialization)

  • Major Causes (Page 13):
    • Immigration: Most immigrants lived in cities; contributed to urban populations.
    • Economic factors: Cheap & convenient living, steady jobs, rich cultural atmosphere in cities.
    • Agricultural shifts: Decreased demand for farm labor due to new machines such as the mechanical reaper.
    • Industrial productivity: Increased productivity of factory jobs attracted unskilled laborers.
    • Migration patterns: Great Migration (the movement of African-Americans) represented a later wave. Specifically, 6{,}000{,}000 African-Americans moved out of the rural South to the urban Northeast between 1910 and 1970.
  • Summary: Urban growth was driven by both international immigration and internal migrations, underpinned by mechanization and factory-based employment opportunities.

Inequality in Urban America

  • Page 14 highlights a huge wealth gap in cities:
    • Wealth concentration among millionaires and ultra-poor residents coexisted in the same urban areas.
    • The middle class was described as incredibly small.
  • Implication: Rapid urban growth created pronounced economic disparities and social stratification within cities.

Urban Problems in the Gilded Age Cities

  • Housing: Tenements were multifamily urban dwellings that were overcrowded and often rat-infested and disease-ridden.
  • Transportation: Cities faced new congestion due to rapid growth.
  • Water and sanitation: Most homes lacked indoor plumbing; dirty water led to diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever.
  • Sanitation and environment: Factories polluted air and water; garbage piled in streets; sewage overflow in gutters.
  • Crime: Many crimes went unsolved; police forces struggled to keep up with city expansion.
  • Fire risk: Wooden buildings, coupled with kerosene lamps and heaters, increased the risk of fires.
  • Overall theme: Urbanization brought significant public health, safety, and infrastructure challenges that required reform.

Tenement Housing and Reform (Teaching prompts and sources)

  • Page 16 references TENEMENT HOUSING and directs students to Turn to page 25 to read and answer.
  • Source attributions include Detroit Lithographic Co. and Welz R & Zerwerk Beerers (as credits on the slide).
  • Note: This slide indicates a focus on education about housing conditions and reform responses,
    which students should explore on the connected pages.

Jacob Riis: How the Other Half Lives

  • Page 17 identifies Jacob Riis and references his famous work, "How the Other Half Lives" (a primary source text examining urban poverty and tenement life).
  • Significance: Riisā€™s work amplified public awareness of urban poverty and influenced reform movements and policies.

Settlement House Movement and the Social Gospel

  • Page 19 outlines the Settlement House Movement as part of the Social Gospel era:
    • Preached salvation through service to the poor.
    • Settlement houses were founded in the late 1800s by social reformers.
    • Run by middle-class, college-educated women.
    • Goals: improve living conditions of the poor, especially immigrants.
    • Jane Addams: A leading figure, Nobel Peace Prize laureate; opened Hull House in Chicago.
  • Significance: Settlement houses provided direct services, education, and advocacy, shaping urban reform and social policy during this period.

Summary of Key Figures and Institutions

  • Jane Addams: Leader of the settlement movement; Nobel Peace Prize recipient; Hull House founder.
  • Jacob Riis: Photojournalist and author whose work highlighted urban poverty and tenement life.
  • Hull House: Example of a settlement house that offered educational, social, and cultural programs to immigrants.

Quick Reference: Key Dates and Numbers

  • Population growth indicators (illustrative only from slide data):
    • 1850 to 1910 city populations surged in the largest urban centers (see population figures for New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston).
    • Great Migration: 6{,}000{,}000 African-Americans moved from the rural South to the urban Northeast between 1910 and 1970.
  • Timeframe anchors:
    • 1860-1890: Growth of cities and westward expansion emphasized in map activities.
    • 1900s onward: Continued urbanization, immigration, and reform movements.

Cross-cutting Themes and Real-World Relevance

  • Urbanization reshaped economic geography: concentration of industry in cities transformed labor markets, housing, and transportation.
  • Immigration and cultural diversity: cities became melting pots, shaping language, culture, politics, and social services.
  • Public health and housing reform: overwhelmed infrastructure prompted reforms in housing, sanitation, water supply, and fire safety.
  • Social reform movements: Settlement houses and the Social Gospel reframed philanthropy as a moral obligation and organized response to urban poverty.
  • Ethical and practical implications: Debates over assimilation, welfare, and the role of government in providing housing, education, and health services.

Optional discussion prompts

  • Why did immigrant populations concentrate in cities, and how did this affect urban services and governance?
  • How did mechanization in agriculture and industry influence urban migration patterns?
  • In what ways did Jacob Riisā€™s photography influence public policy and housing reform?
  • What were the major aims and limitations of the settlement house movement, and how did Jane Addamsā€™s Hull House exemplify these goals?