A Nation of Cities

1. A Nation of Cities Chapter 20

2. Cities Grow Rapidly • In 1850 only 15% of Americans lived in cities • By 1900 40% of Americans lived in cities • Cities provide jobs • New factories open • Railroads reduce isolation • Raw materials shipped easily and economically

3. Immigration • They came seeking a better life with more freedoms • Most came over on crowded steamships • First wave: Northern Europe • Second wave: Eastern & Southern Europe

4. Lady Liberty • A gift from France in 1884 • The iconic statue greets new immigrants entering harbor of NYC • A first look at America: the promised land for many

5. The Homestead Act • In 1862, Congress passed a law making it easy for pioneers to own land • Settlers got 160 acres of land • You had to promise to live on it for 5 years

6. Treatment of Workers • Low salaries • Poor working condition • Unsafe working conditions • Child labor abuses

7. Problems They Faced • Poverty • Low level jobs • Dangerous working conditions • Prejudice • Discrimination

8. Other Groups Face Discrimination • Jim Crow Laws segregate black Americans in the South • Civil Right Act of 1875 ruled unconstitutional in 1883 • The Supreme Court was biased against blacks • Plessey v. Ferguson enforces “separate but equal” doctrine

9. City Living • New forms of transportation: trolleys, streetcars • New ways of shopping: department stores • Centers for the arts spread culture • Sporting events draw huge crowds

10. Problems of the Cities • “Dumbbell" Tenements • Slums • Poor sanitation • Fire hazards • Crime • City governments were often corrupt • The Salvation Army & YMCA’s help the urban poor