This paper revolves around the peculiarities of the U.S. urbanization and migration trends at the end of the 19th century. This period is characterized by the rapid growth of cities due to the income of new individuals. It discussed the factors leading to successful urbanization, the challenges of urban life, and the effects this trend caused on the history of the state and its further development. The African American Great Migration and New European Immigration are also discussed as events playing a critical role in shaping the nation and its demographics.
The first point I think is critically important is the four innovations that serve as the keys to successful urbanization. The introduction of electric lighting and its growing availability provided cities with opportunities to cover greater areas and provide people with better quality of life. In big factories, electric lights allowed employees to work 24 hours per day, which boosted productivity and demanded new individuals to meet the growing need for human resources. Moreover, street illumination altered people’s lives and made them less dependent on natural light. It preconditioned the income of people in big cities. Second, the telephone and its fast spread improved communication between individuals and increased demand for various products. It contributed to the growing need for people to perform different activities and help businesses to evolve. Following this trend, thousands of people arrived in cities to find new jobs and remain here. Urbanization was also stimulated by a developing transportation system as the creation of electric trolleys provided people with an opportunity to reach various destination places and avoid delays because of the size of the city. It created the basis for their further growth. Finally, skyscrapers helped to disregard some geographic barriers, such as lack of space or rivers, and construct buildings for various purposes. These inventions became the central factors boosting urbanization in the USA.
The second important point is the challenges of urban life. It is vital to realize that a significant change in the demographics and structure of cities promoted the emergence of numerous problems in all spheres. The high density of the population triggered the growth in crime rates, the spread of diseases, such as cholera and typhoid, and deterioration in the living conditions and the quality of life. The overpopulation also demanded a radical alteration in planning and organizing city life. The fire hazards required better fire management, while new systems for waste management were also necessary. This complex situation resulted in the growing role of the Church with the idea of the social gospel. It presupposed people’s cooperation to improve their living conditions and help each other to avoid further deterioration of the situation and critical outcomes. These challenges became significant factors leading to the reconsideration of the approach to planning and organization to ensure no serious diseases or fire hazards. Moreover, a settlement house movement became a response to these problems aimed at helping the working class. It included child daycare, libraries, evening classes, and health care vital for representatives of this class.
The third critical aspect is the wave of African Americans going to the Northeast and Upper Midwest and called the Great Migration. In general, about two million black people moved from their places and abandoned the rural South hoping for a better life and new opportunities. They mainly arrive in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Detroit, and Indianapolis. In other words, the wave of African American migrants moved to urbanized and highly industrialized areas hoping to find new jobs and earn higher wages. From another hand, they have been pushed away from the South because of some racial tensions and discriminative attitudes. Although the Civil War ended, black people were still treated differently and experienced multiple hardships and threats, also linked with the Ku Klux Klan. For this reason, the combination of push and pull factors influenced this group and made them move to new areas. This aspect is vital as it demonstrated the racial tensions in the state and this Great Migration altered the demography of big cities leading to the emergence of significant black communities.
The fourth important aspect is the change in the nature of European immigration. The USA had always been affected by this factor because people from Germany, Great Britain, and other Western European countries constituted a significant part of the population and impacted the evolution of the nation. However, at the end of the 19th century, the income of immigrants from southern and eastern areas of Europe significantly increased compared to other traditional channels. It resulted in the change of big cities’ demographics as the new wave was characterized by poor education, or its absence, and limited finances. For this reason, they stopped in places where they arrived and looked for opportunities there. Because of this trend, most port cities were full of migrants from Greece, Russia, and other Slavic cultures. In New York, about 80% of its population were foreign-born. This fact is vital as this tendency caused a significant impact on the evolution of the state. The USA acquired new ethnic groups with their cultures and contribute to the nation’s formation.
The fifth important issue is the culture of people living in urbanized cities. Multiple hardships combined with the poor living conditions introduced the need for ways to release tension and stress levels. It resulted in the emergence of new elements of culture and entertainment. For instance, amusement parks became essential elements of that period offering a chance to have wild rides, animal attractions, and stage shows to escape the hard reality. Vaudeville also became a popular show with singing, dancing, and comedy elements. Finally, baseball became a popular sport helping to distract and spend time playing. First clubs transformed into professional teams giving rise to the fast development of this sport in the USA. Today, it remains one of the most popular and well-known American games. Thus, this aspect is vital as it shows the formation of the modern U.S. culture, including the emergence of various sports and they’re becoming an important element of the lifestyle.
Finally, the sixth important aspect is the emergence and evolution of the middle class with its peculiarities. The traditional division between the wealthy and poor citizens peculiar to past epochs was replaced by a new one with a significant role for people with a middle income and different habits. This group consisted of managers, salesmen, engineers, doctors, and professionals better educated compared to the working class. They lived in the suburbs, which provided them with the opportunity to enjoy a better quality of life and avoid the problems of big cities. Middle-class women also acquired new roles because of the change in the environment. Although they function as housewives caring for husbands and children, they also could enroll in colleges to work as teachers or professors. It contributed to significant empowerment of their positions and the evolution of multiple feminist movements. Educated women wanted to take a more active part in the life of communities, which resulted in the attempts to reconsider their positions and provide them with additional rights. This information is vital as it shows the transformation of people’s mentality and the establishment of tolerant values.
The innovations, African Americans, and European migrations created the basis for a radical change with the emergence of new challenges, such as density, illnesses, crime, and fire hazards, and new opportunities because of jobs. These shifts formed a new culture with specific amusements and ways to reduce stress. Moreover, this period is characterized by the rise of the middle class, and it’s becoming a serious factor affecting the nation’s life. This data is vital for a better understanding of the history of the USA and how certain events in the past formed citizens’ mentality and worldview.