The Changing Landscape of 19th Century California

1. The Changing Landscape of the 19th Century California Content Standard 11.2.2

2. What was the Changing Landscape? • The expansion of railroads in the 19th century linked towns that were formerly isolated. • New towns sprang up along railroad lines. • Some cities began to specialize in a particular product, which could be distributed to a large market across the country by railroad. • Industrialization brought wealth to many Americans, but could also severe air and water pollution in cities. • New inventions met the needs of cities, including the need for space (skyscrapers) and transportation (electric streetcars, suburban railroads).

3. What was the Growth of Cities? • The early Industrialization Revolution in the first half of the 19th century caused new Northern cities to be formed and existing cities grow larger. • Many cities grew near canals, major rivers, and railroads, which provided transportation. • Between 1870 and 1920 the urban population in the United States grew from 10 to 54 million. • Most of the growth took place in the Northeast and the Midwest. • In 1890, 40 percent of the U.S. population lived in the cities with populations greater than 50,000. • About 20 million Europeans arrived in the United States between 1870 and 1920. • Before 1890, most came from northern and western Europe. • After 1890, increasing numbers came from southern and eastern Europe.

4. What were the Growth of Cities cont. • Ethic groups clustered together to preserve their cultures. • Immigrants lived near others who shared their language, religion, and values. • They created social clubs and aid societies and put their money together to build churches and synagogues. • Many immigrants moved into crowded multifamily tenements in the central part of the cities. • Improvements in transportation allowed middle- and upper-class families to move to new suburbs. • Between 1890 and 1910, 200,00 African Americans moved to cities in the North and West to escape racial oppression in the South. • They still faced segregation and job discrimination.