Shock City Urbanization

Clothing has existed in many cultures for thousands years, and clothes have advanced in their style and functionality over all of these years. From ready-made apparel used in the America Civil War to using computers to design clothes during the 21st century, clothing has come a long way from its origins. Preferences in clothing changed drastically as well, going from preferring style over comfort to comfort over style and back again countless times throughout the years. Overall, the evolution of clothing has been one of the biggest in terms of items for humans and will most likely grow even further into the future with new and better technology.

Throughout this weeks reading on Chapter 4, we focus in on the Progressive Era and the establishment of urban America. The industrial revolution was at its peak and the United States was developing rapidly. Immigration, manufacturing output, and urban development grew faster than any other time in the nation’s history. Not only that, but scientific developments changed lives and revolutionary theories challenged traditional beliefs. As Rury suggests, “ . . . it is probably safe to say that there was a greater degree of social change at the point than any other, simply because of the magnitude of economic expansion an population movement” (Rury 136). It was a time of globalization, when there was movement around the world on an unprecedented scale. Even when compared to

The period after the civil war saw the United States of America economy transform to become a national economy and an industrial giant. The already existing industries quickly expanded and new ones emerged including steel manufacturing, electrical power, and petroleum refining. This period saw the rapid expansion of the railroad network which would subsequently connect even the remote parts of the country into the national economic grid essentially transforming the regional markets into a national economy. Following the economic expansion, the American society was greatly transformed creating a new crop of wealthy individuals and a dynamic middle class. Additionally, there was a vast expansion of blue collar job opportunities which quickly

In the 19th century, a major way of transportation was crafted. This was called the Erie Canal. This Canal led to great economic growth throughout the United States. For example, the Canal brought in many people through the seaports in New York which made it more busy than it already was (Doc. 1a). This made New York City grow tremendously between 1830 and 1860 (Doc. 1a). The Documents say, “Prior to the construction of the Canal, New York City was the nation’s fifth largest seaport, behind Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New Orleans.” So, before the building of the Canal the port wasn’t very popular. After the building, New York City was the busiest port in America after 15 years of the opening of the Canal (Doc. 1b). Comparing to the

Alexander Hamilton’s innovative vision has remained relevant throughout the development of the United States’ financial system. The First Bank of the United States, championed by Hamilton, serves as the first model for the American financial system and banking structure. Remnants of Hamilton’s framework endure to this day. After nearly eight decades without a central bank, Congress revived Hamilton’s “notion of a centralized, quasi-governmental bank” in 1914, when the Federal Reserve System was created (Davies). Even so, Hamilton’s vision never fully disappeared. In the nineteenth century, bank lending “spurred business growth, planting the seeds for the nation’s flowering into an economic power after the Civil War” (Davies). Hamilton’s vision

After the Civil War, the United States (U.S.) started industrializing in the early nineteenth century, bringing revolutionary revisions to America’s society and its industries. The abundance of natural resources, new inventions, and continuously immigrating workers, along with the creation of the free enterprise system and a spur of railroads, enabled the country to industrialize successfully. Soon America’s small towns were transformed into large cities filled with factories. In the late 1800s, a period known as the Gilded Age came about, suggesting that America’s industrialization and urbanization had two facets. On the surface, the U.S. showcased golden success and prosperity, while the interior aspect began to unveil the unsettling realities

The market revolution had a tremendous impact on many regions in the U.S., most notably the South and Northeast. The market revolution is a term used by historians to describe the expansion of the marketplace that occurred between 1815 and 1830, prompted mainly by major transportation improvements and various unique inventions to connect distant communities together for the first time. The South developed and thrived mainly from the cotton gin and the expansion of slavery. The Northeast flourished and bloomed from the factory system, interchangeable parts, transportation improvements, and women in the work force. The market revolution impact on the South and Northeast brought about widespread economic growth yet affected the regions differently, the South shifted from subsistence farming to commercial farming and the Northeast grew in mechanization and industrialization.

The Second Industrial Revolution affected the North, South, West, and Midwest in several ways. New unions and laws were introduced. More issues regarding differences in culture and social classes arose. Economies developed greatly with efficient farming technologies and manufacturing industries. Populations had major changes with increased amounts of people in urban areas around cities, and increased amounts of immigrants. Railroads erupted in quantity and popularity around the nation, connecting major areas, and transporting important resources, such as livestock, timber, and metals. During this period, I would have preferred to live in the Midwest. The Midwest had many cities that were centers for industry, which were very profitable in wealth

Before the Gilded Age, transportation of any sort was slow, unreliable, and unavailable. However, with the invention of the assembly line and some invention, mass produced automobiles, subterranean trains, elevated trains and basic airplanes were spread out. Therefore, during the late 19th century, transportation was allowing for extreme expanse of trade and economic capability.

The Roaring Twenties were full of dramatic, social, political, and economic changes ("The Roaring Twenties,1). Post World War I, the era marked the beginning of modern times with new and worthy developments. More and more people were abetted to live in the cities, most people had jobs, therefore money to spend, and they spend it by “having a good time” (McNeese,88). While the society got rid of their miseries; sciences, arts, and businesses renewed themselves by evolving. This research paper briefly gives examples from advances in technology, transportation, and entertainment while discussing their benefits to the United States.

The establishment and growth of the railroad had many influences on the Westward Expansion of America in the later half of the 1800’s. The railroad fueled the conflict with the Native Americans of the Plains, induced growth in population and economy in previously established urban areas, and lastly expanded the lands that were used for agriculture. The railroad affected various aspects of America’s West and the Great Plains.

The time period from when the Second Industrial Revolution was beginning, up until President McKinley’s assassination in 1901, is known as the Gilded Age. After the Civil War, many people headed out West to pursue agriculture, and many immigrants moved to urban areas to acquire jobs in industrial factories. It is in this context that farmers and industrial workers had to respond to industrialization. Two significant ways farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age, were creating the Populist Party and the American Federation of Labor (AFL).

Paris is much more than a name or a point on a map. To me, Paris is nothing like the other big cities of the world; it is my home town, and the greatest part of my life. I lived in Paris, my parents lived in Paris, my grandparents lived in Paris, and all the way back up the paternal side of the familial roots. As such, I have chosen this city to describe using the five themes of geography. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, and one of the country 's leading industrial, commercial, transportation, and financial centers. This city combines several different cultures and, there is truly no place like it.

Historical records show that migrants from Europe inhabited most of the cities. The migration was fueled by the construction of the railroad and the demands of industries for their labor-intensive production processes. During the period of 1860 to 1890, the population of the United States increased from approximately five million to seventy-six million. The population of major cities like New York and Philadelphia increased from approximately 500,000 to over a million. Chicago experienced the worst population explosion in the history of the West as its population rose from approximately 100,000 in 1860 to over 1,000,000 in 1890. The westward movement also resulted in an increase in the number of cities from nine in 1860 to twenty-five in 1890 (Barrett & Roediger, 2005). The rise in population led to an increase in the demand for public infrastructure. State governments in cities like Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia were ill-equipped to provide the necessary infrastructures to support its large population. These cities witnessed an increase in the number of poorly built houses in response to the increasing demand for housing by migrants who were mostly immigrant workers from Europe. The settler workers who had flocked into these cities in thousands during this period lived in homes with inadequate water supply, ventilation, and toilet facilities. The poor

In the nineteenth century, rates of immigration across the world increased. Within thirty years, over eleven million immigrants came to the United States. There were new types of people migrating than what the United States were used to seeing as well. Which made people from different backgrounds and of different race work and live in tight spaces together; causing them to be unified. Not only did they immigrate to the United States, there were cities all over the world attracting all sorts of individuals. In this essay, I will discuss the variety of people who migrated, why so many people leaned towards immigration, and why the majority of immigrants populated the cities instead of rural areas like their homelands.