Lure Of The Big City example essay topic

Austin StorhaugAP American History 2/7/200519th Century Cities In 1880, a national census determined that the United States had grown to a population of 50,100,000.6,600,000 of those who helped account for the population growth of cities were immigrants arriving from around the world. Also, many rural Americans became attracted to the lure of the big city. This incredible condensation into the big cities led to many problems including crime. Overall, the lure of the city, the abundance of workers, and the corruption created developed a new city experience in the late 19th century. An American city seemed extremely attractive from afar.

Big city pleasures such as electricity, indoor plumbing, and telephones created jealousy from the rural farmers, who did not possess such things. Also, cities lured many people with architectural marvels such as the skyscrapers with their fancy elevators. Rural farmers started to think their lives as dull when compared to the late night glitter of the cities. Jobs were also another lure of the big city. Industrial jobs presented jobs for both men and women.

Not only did these jobs provide an income in which the employee could spend at city department stores (such as New York's Macy's) but also the income provided greater equality for many minorities as well as women. Theodore Dreiser's further encouraged the glamorous city life belief when he wrote Sister Carrie (1990). The lure of the city had one drawback, it attracted so many people that soon the cities became vastly overcrowded. Southern and eastern Europeans poured into the country looking for jobs. They came with a history of little self government, and many were illiterate and impoverished. Soon, this diversity began to show as "little Italy's" and "little Poland's" became apparent in the big cities.

Immigrants gave employers an opportunity to pay such low wages that organizations such as the Knights of Labor and the AF of L were created to create a better environment for workers. Also, as cities became overcrowded and slum neighborhoods were created. These veil slum neighborhoods consisting of cheaply made buildings such as dumbbell tenements and flophouses led to the sped of many diseases. Often slum neighbor hoods were occupied by poor immigrants who created cheap labor and often did not portray WASP values. As a result. many natives hated immigrants. In 1882, immigration restrictions (against criminals, convicts, and paupers, and Asians) were created in an attempt to make the cities less crowded.

In summary, although the cities seemed appealing, because of all the migration into the big cities the majority of urban Americans lived with low wages, and unsanitary living conditions. America's cities soon became infested with corruption. Political machines run by known criminals often controlled the city. As the immigrants rushed in these machines would provide welfare services as political favors. The most famous of these political machines was Boss Tweed in New York's Tammany Hall. With this Tweed controlled over 60,000 jobs giving him power over the city.

Unfortunately, at the time the police force was inadequate to control the problem and was very easily corrupted. All of this corruption within the city led to reforms trying to improve the city. For instance, the Salvation Army and the YMCA attempted to improve the slums through charity work. Also, many religious leaders (Washington Gladden, Walter Rauschenbusch, etc.) sought to end the corruption using spiritual means. Another reformer, Jane Addams, founded settlement houses to offer literacy classes, crafts classes, job training, and a sense of dignity to urban dwellers, particularly immigrants. Although reformers had some effect in preventing its devastation, corruption spread throughout the cities.

During the final years of the 1800's, the alluring industrial cities, with all the problems brought on by rapid population growth occupies a special place in U.S. history. For all the problems, and there were many, the cities promoted a special bond between people and laid the foundation for multicultural society that we cherish today.