What changes occurred due to urbanization?
- Changes of urbanization brought changes in social structure, working class life, and it increase the population of the city.
- Urbanization changed American society due to the fact that it affected the normal way of American life, and made into an industrial fueled economy, after be an agricultural economy for so long. (Since it became a more industrial type environment, that meant the development of more jobs, which brought in people willing to work)
- People were definitely attracted to the fact that homes were now equipped with electricity, running water, heat, air conditioners, indoor plumbing and just decent living.
- It altered the social structure due to the fact that this time period brought over people from different parts of different places. So you had people from Europe, Asia, and anywhere else, which resulted in the interaction of different ethnic and social groups. (All of this movement thus brought on a bigger increase of America’s population.
Why did this change happen?
- Urbanization happened due to the fact that it was during the time of the Industrial Revolution. The reason this is of importance is due to the fact that it was the time when lots of factories were coming up with lots of open work positions, therefore attracting people from all over to come and leave behind the life of agriculture, and get a job there and live there
- Happened due to do fact that living was so much better.
- It wasn’t only factories that needed the workers, but there were also other positions where services were needed, like, teaching, medical practices, side shops, and things of those necessities.
1860-1900
- From the 1860’s to the 1900’s, the percentage of the population in America went from 19.8% to 39.7%. (Estimated around over 30 million people.)
1900-2000
- From the 1900’s to the 2000’s, the percentage of the population in America increased from 39.7% to 77%. (Estimated around over 90 million people.)
Issues that arose
Living Conditions
Tenement Houses
Living Conditions
- For starters, living conditions during this time was terrible. Having so many people in one place and without proper living conditions had left the area really unsanitary and filthy. There was trash all over the place, bad air, no good sewage system, unclean water, and animal feces and filth everywhere. Basic cleanly health conditions during these times were just nonexistent.
- This came from all of the numerous amounts of people who crammed themselves into a small environment, and without all the necessary space or resources to ensure everyone could live properly.
Tenement Houses
- In Tenement House, like the outside world, the inside was no better. The homes were found in the slums, run down and not really suited for healthy living, especially when there are more people in the home than it can actually fit.
- Tenement Houses were apartment buildings with small narrow apartments. They often had no windows and had poor ventilation. Many row houses and smaller tenements were built with wood and other flammable materials. Needless to say it was quite dangerous. They could easily collapse too since they were quickly built buildings. (Had more than one family cramped into one apartment with no running water, meaning no plumbing system, and barely enough space.)
- Too many people everywhere, people being forced to live in unhealthy and unsafe homes, food not as plentiful when millions of people have showed up out of nowhere, and just everything filthy. (Coming in to take all of the jobs too.)
Social Gospel Movement
- This was a reform movement led by Protestant ministers who had used religious doctrine to demand better housing and living conditions for the poorer classes.
Jane Addams- Hull House
- Was created in order to find better living for poorer classes.
Citation
- American Pageant
- pg. 557-559
- pg. 559-560
- pg. 565