The People: why were the three groups below drawn to cities in the Northeast and Midwest?
1. Immigrants
Cities were by far the cheapest places to live in the country. They also offered steady employment at mills and factories for unskilled workers, which most immigrants were. These factories were often located in the city, so living in the city made it very convenient as well.
2. Farmers
New inventions in the late 19th century led to farming become much more efficient. These inventions meant that farmers could get make more of their crop, but with less people. The workers that used to run these farms migrated to cities to look for work.
3. African-Americans
Many of the farmers above were African-Americans. The African-Americans not only left for labor though, many were escaping racial violence as well. As a result of this racism there was much political oppression as well, which they were also leaving the South in order to get away from.
The Problems: What was done in response to the following five problems?
4. Lack of safe and efficient transportation
In response to a lack of safe and efficient transportation, cities began to develop mass transit systems. These were systems of transportation designed to move a very large number of people along a fixed route. Street cars in San Francisco were one of the first examples of mass transit, along with subways in Boston. Mass transit made it easier for people to get in, out of, and around the cities.
5. Unsafe drinking water
In rapidly growing cities, there was rarely enough water for people and when there was it was full of diseases and bacteria. In the 1870s, in order to counteract this, many major cities introduced filtration to the water systems. In 1908, they added chlorine as an additional precaution.
6. Lack of sanitation
As more people moved to the cities, they began producing more and more waste, garbage and other. There were no methods of picking up or removing this waste, so the cities became dangerously unsanitary. By 1900, major cities around the U.S. had created sewers and sanitation departments so that the cities could be cleaner and therefore safer.
7. Fire Hazards
As cities grew, many of the buildings were made out of cheap and reliable wood. But soon, this choice led to fires breaking out in almost every major city in the U.S.. There were fire departments, but they were mostly volunteer. Cincinnati was the first city to have a paid fire department, and by 1900 many other cities had followed suit. In addition to salaried fire departments, many cities moved from building with wood to building with stone and brick.
8. Crime
1. Immigrants
Cities were by far the cheapest places to live in the country. They also offered steady employment at mills and factories for unskilled workers, which most immigrants were. These factories were often located in the city, so living in the city made it very convenient as well.
2. Farmers
New inventions in the late 19th century led to farming become much more efficient. These inventions meant that farmers could get make more of their crop, but with less people. The workers that used to run these farms migrated to cities to look for work.
3. African-Americans
Many of the farmers above were African-Americans. The African-Americans not only left for labor though, many were escaping racial violence as well. As a result of this racism there was much political oppression as well, which they were also leaving the South in order to get away from.
The Problems: What was done in response to the following five problems?
4. Lack of safe and efficient transportation
In response to a lack of safe and efficient transportation, cities began to develop mass transit systems. These were systems of transportation designed to move a very large number of people along a fixed route. Street cars in San Francisco were one of the first examples of mass transit, along with subways in Boston. Mass transit made it easier for people to get in, out of, and around the cities.
5. Unsafe drinking water
In rapidly growing cities, there was rarely enough water for people and when there was it was full of diseases and bacteria. In the 1870s, in order to counteract this, many major cities introduced filtration to the water systems. In 1908, they added chlorine as an additional precaution.
6. Lack of sanitation
As more people moved to the cities, they began producing more and more waste, garbage and other. There were no methods of picking up or removing this waste, so the cities became dangerously unsanitary. By 1900, major cities around the U.S. had created sewers and sanitation departments so that the cities could be cleaner and therefore safer.
7. Fire Hazards
As cities grew, many of the buildings were made out of cheap and reliable wood. But soon, this choice led to fires breaking out in almost every major city in the U.S.. There were fire departments, but they were mostly volunteer. Cincinnati was the first city to have a paid fire department, and by 1900 many other cities had followed suit. In addition to salaried fire departments, many cities moved from building with wood to building with stone and brick.
8. Crime
With more people in a smaller area, it became easier for thieves to steal from them. Cities all over the United States created full, salaried police forces by 1900 you counteract and apprehend these crime committers.
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