The Rise of Chicago... The windy city, Chi-Town, Chi-raq, City in a Garden, all names for the city that´s population grew from 29,963 to 1,698,575 from the 1850’s to the 1900’s. Why you ask? Well, hopefully i’ll answer your question throughout this informative assignment. I believe the most important events that affected Chicago include the transcontinental railroad, the Great Chicago Fire, and the Great Migration. Keep in mind there are plenty more factors and reasons why Chicago went from a young, cramped city to a colossal, popular destination within a little more than fifty years, i’m just talking about the key ones!
The transcontinental railroad was a very important factor in the growth of Chicago. So, when the Golden Spike connected the rails, what had been an arduous journey of months now only took 10 days. In 1853, one could ride by train from New York to Chicago. Exactly a year later, the city was connected to the Mississippi River at Rock Island. This brought a very large amount of people to Chicago, leaving a huge impact on the population. The transcontinental railroad did not only affect Chicago, however, it made a huge difference all across the United States!
The Great Chicago Fire was one of the worst and also one of the best things to happen to the city. In October 1871, this fire destroyed one-third of Chicago,
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You got it, World War 1, which later caused the Great Migration! The Great Migration was the movement of six million African Americans out of rural, southern United States to urban, northwest, midwest, and western United States. Therefore, the city of Chicago gained a tremendous amount of people. Also, the African American population of Chicago grew from 2% to 33% after the Great Migration. Although it was a rough start, the city provided freedom from legally sanctioned racial discrimination. Without this movement, Chicago's African American industrial working class wouldn't
The Great Chicago Fore changed construction of buildings forever. It was the fastest growing city in the United States and it had been built with wood. The fire burned two-thirds of the city and wiped out the north side. Approximately 300 people died and millions of dollars worth of property was destroyed. Chicago was reconstructed, but with much more thought of fire resistant homes and
Andrew Diamond examines several Chicago gangs and multiple other movements in Chicago during the end of the 1950s through the 1960s. Diamond follows Dr. Martian Luther King Junior’s ambition to desegregate Chicago, the most segregated city in the United States. King focused his attention first to the West Side’s most notorious black street gangs. This source shows how racial solidarity within the city and youth gangs became a vital source of inspiration for the civil rights movement that was developing during this period. This article suits those who are studying the impact that gangs have on urban community, influences and inspiration for black West Side Chicagoans, historians, and other academic professionals.
Also the growth of many cities in the california region grew including San Francisco.
Chicago had to fight for their right to host the fair as it was competing with many, already great, cities for that spot. Fighting for this right lead the city politics to become corrupt since they were doing everything in their power to gain the opportunity to hold the fair in their city. Introduction: In 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition
The rise of cities in America’s cities grew in all direction after the Civil War. With the increase of cities and population it cause the cities to face several problem. For example, people who worked in huge cities had no choice but to live in overcrowded apartment. They also faced problem of sanitation, health and moralse. They had little
In the first few chapters of Black Metropolis, St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton provide historical context on the early development of Chicago as the site for an emerging city, which became the American Midwest epicenter that incited significant social, economic and political changes that transformed the country. The authors also establish a foundation that helps to understand the allure of the Windy City, which contributed to the mass exodus of African Americans from the South during the Great Migration that ultimately created the “black metropolis.” While examining the text, what specifically stood out was the following quote: “The distinctive thing about the Black Belt is that while other such “colonies” tend to break up with the passage of time, the Negro area becomes increasingly more concentrated.” This quote indirectly references the
Affected all aspects of Big business, Economy and politics significantly in size. The Aspects of Big business made it very hard in every day life. Altogether food prices, Fuel and lighting prices and the cost of living index all drastically changed over time. It made every day living a challenge. The Rail roads really started to play a gigantic role on our economy.
Some say it lost oxygen others say the light rain put it out. Either way, the fire was gone and nothing was left in its path. The fire completely destroyed that part of Chicago. It left 100,000 people homeless with 300 people dead.
The Great Migration was a significant time when African Americans southerners wanted to escape segregation. They believed that segregation in the north was a lot less intense as it was in the south and many wanted to do something about it. Many families thought there were better economic opportunities and for different races if only they could get out of the racially corrupt south. In the beginning of 1916, African American families packed up and headed North, in hopes of a positive outcome. The Great Migration as a whole happened during the years of 1916 to 1970.
Since transportation was easier and faster, people could live in the suburbs on the edge of towns. For example, queens outside New York doubled in size in the 1920s. By the end of the 1920s, more than 26 million cars were sold, and lots of new towns were created. Another advancement that is important is the development of trucks. In the beginning, trucks were old fashioned and had lots of flaws.
The 1920s carried much change in society. Some of these changes were more rights for women, jazz music, and prohibition. The people of the 1920s were disillusioned by society lacking in idealism and vision, sense of personal alienation, and Americans were obsessed with materialism and outmoded moral values (The Roaring Twenties).Cultural changes were strongly influenced by the destruction of World War I ending 1918. America needed to recover and with it youth rebelled against the norms of the older generations.
The Tremendous Impact of Railroads on America In the late 19th century, railroads propelled America into an era of unprecedented growth, prosperity, and convenient transportation. Prior to the building of the railroads, America lacked the proper and rapid transportation to make traveling across the country economical or practical. Lengthy travel was often cumbersome, costly, and dangerous.
How could such a devastating event have such positive effects? A crucial element of Chicago’s history, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 can be understood by studying the cause of its severity, its impact on the city, and the recovery efforts of the people. The widespread effects of the fire were caused by adverse weather conditions and the origin of the fire. The months leading up to fire incorporated all the elements necessary for a fire to begin, as a terrible drought plagued the city during the four months prior to the fire: from the months of July to October, less than three inches of rain had fallen (McNamara).
Paragraph 1: Industrialization really took of in the United States during the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Before then, America 's population had mostly lived out in the farms and ranches of the country, but that was about to change when more and more people started to move to the cities for work. Most of the people that moved, found themselves in factory jobs for the steel industry or alike, or working for the railroads. Companies could really thrive, as the United States government, adopted a policy of Laissez Faire. This is also about the time that immigration really kicked up, more and more immigrants were showing at Ellis Island, looking for a new start.
Winters were rather unsettled in Chicago. Sidewalks were covered by salt, slushy water channeled into the gutters and SUVs splattered dirty mush-ice to the sidewalks from the cracks of the road. A young couple hasten to reach the station in time. Others are heading to bars and restaurants, to meet their friends and family.