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Starting approximately during the year of 1870, the Northeast and Midwest regions experienced an immense transformation. Occurring at a time often called the "Metropolitan Era," these transformations were due mainly to concentration on the philosophies of industrialization, modernization, and urbanization. Urbanization, which is the rapid growth of a city, began with the arrival of immigrants from all around the world to the United States. The rapid urbanization of cities in the Northeast and Midwest promoted success and opportunity, while also paving the way for beneficial change in urban politics, economic conditions, and citywide spatial transformation. Immigrants didn't arrive in the United States without a reason --they left the places that they called home, risked everything that they lived for, and strived to move on, all in the hope of achieving success.
"...immigrants sought to escape difficult conditions -- such as poverty, famine, land shortages, or religious or political persecution -- in their native countries." (The Americans, 438)
The basic appeal for most immigrants was the new boom of industrialization. The spread of industry meant that there were more jobs available, and jobs, as long as they were paying, meant opportunity for success. Many immigrants also came to earn money for their families back in the homeland, and would then make the trip back once they'd saved up enough to provide a decent living.
[Some immigrants] "...known as "birds of passage" intended to immigrate temporarily in order to make money and then return to their homelands." (The Americans, 438)
College papers on Urbanization and its Effects
Many of the people that immigrated to the United States had no choice but to make an attempt at a new life. They arrived from all four corners of the world, most coming from the nations of Europe and northern Asia, Mexico, Japan, China, the West Indies, and the already well-known continent of Africa. The most prominent group of this bunch would have to be from Europe. Even combined, all of the other nations that arrived in the United States only tallied up to about a quarter of the amount from Europe.
"Between 1870 and 1920, approximately 20 million Europeans arrived in the United States. Before 1890, most immigrants came from countries in western and northern Europe, including Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany. Beginning in the 1890s, however, increasing numbers came from southern and eastern Europe, especially Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. In 1905 alone, about a million arrived from just these countries." (The Americans, 438)
Due to rising conditions in Europe such as famine, political corruption, and economic disaster, more and more Europeans began to leave. Even though the mortality rate was high, the birth rate was higher still, causing an overflow of population, with hardly any land. Without a place to stay and a job to provide for their family, many Europeans were morally forced to leave their homelands in search of a new life. With bountiful openings for a promising career and a home that compared to the nothing they had at the moment, the United States may have seemed as almost a miracle.
"Other Europeans left because of rising population. Between 1800 and 1900, the population in Europe had more than doubled to 432 million. This population explosion resulted in a lack of land...Finally there was a spirit of revolt and reform in Europe...Many young men and women who were influenced by the spirit of these movements sought to start independent lives in the United States." (The Americans, 439)
On the other hand, China was facing only the typical problems a country might. The reason for Chinese immigration was mostly the massive need for laborers during the time that the transcontinental railroad was being built. From the point of the railroad completion onwards, Chinese arrived in the United States to obtain mostly labor-based jobs -- jobs that also paid extremely well. However, previously, the news of a gold rush was the main inspiration for the Chinese. Unfortunately, in 1882, the immigration of Chinese was dramatically limited, halting their major influence on the country.
"Between 1851 and 1883, about 200,000 Chinese arrived. Many came to seek their fortunes after the discovery of gold -- in 1848 -- sparked the California gold rush." (The Americans, 439)
"The Chinese helped build the nation's first transcontinental railroad as well as other railroads in the West. When the railroads were completed, they turned to farming, mining, and domestic service. Chinese immigration was sharply limited by a congressional act in 1882." (The Americans, 439)
A country that was under the pressure of political turmoil, along with the basic need of occupations, was Mexico. Unlike any other culture and race to immigrate to the United States, many Mexicans became United States citizens without much effort. After the annexation of Texas, the United States acquired an immense amount of land from Mexico. Most likely seeing no reason to leave everything they had worked for, they were extremely willing to accept the offer of citizenship, and become official, American born citizens.
"The Mexican population in the United States also increased. Unlike the Europeans, Asians, and West Indians, however, some Mexicans became United States residents without even leaving home." (The Americans, 439)
"As a result of the annexation of Texas in 1845 and the treaty with Mexico in 1848, the United States acquired vast territories from Mexico. Many of the residents of these territories chose to become American citizens." (The Americans, 439-440)
With increased usage of the land irrigation system for farming -- due to the 1902 National Reclamation Act -- many Mexicans were drawn northward into the Midwest, where farm land was now fresh and bountiful. Even more Mexicans immigrated to the United States in 1910 when many political and social upheavals occurred. Amazingly, about 7 percent of Mexico's population at the time had immigrated by 1920.
"Other Mexicans immigrated to the United States to find work or to flee political turmoil. As a result of the 1902 National Reclamation Act, which encouraged the irrigation of arid land, new farmland was created....This farmland drew Mexican farm workers northward to seek jobs. After 1920, political and social upheavals in Mexico prompted even more immigration." (The Americans, 440)
"Nearly a million people -- 7 percent of the population of Mexico at the time -- came to the United States over the next 20 years." (The Americans, 440)
Another string of immigrants that brought vibrant, lively, spirited culture to the United States was that of nations in the West Indies. Consisting of skin pigments ranging from dark to albino, these people immigrated due to the need of wage-based work. Over 200,000 people from nations such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Haiti had arrived by 1920, mainly settling in the east and southeast, along the Atlantic coastline.
"They came from Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other islands. Many West Indians left their homelands because jobs were scarce." (The Americans, 439)
"Between 1880 and 1920, about 260,000 immigrants arrived in the eastern and southeastern United States from the West Indies." (The Americans, 439)
In addition to those who were voluntarily coming to the United States, the African Americans had been there for years on end before them. Still suffering from racial discrimination and abuse in the South, many emigrated north and west seeking a new chance at life. Totaling about 200,000 emigrating in the United States alone, they settled in cities like Chicago and Detroit, many continuing on to Canada. Still, even at their new homes in the North, the African Americans were looked down upon, seen as incompetent illiterate barbarians. Almost forced to accept dirt-cheap wages as factory laborers or domestic servants, they might've been compared to that of a peon. Even though these factors were evident, their new life was said to have been comparatively better than that as a slave.
"Between 1890 and 1910, about 200,000 African Americans moved north and west to cities such as Chicago and Detroit, as they tried to escape racial violence, economic hardship, and political oppression." (The Americans, 447)
"Because of racial prejudice and their inadequate education, they were often forced to take low-paying factory jobs or to work as domestic servants." (The Americans, 447)
Despite the oppressive conditions that the immigrants had lived with most of their lives, the United States was the way of their escape. Offering more than just a home and a job, the United States provided the immigrant with the chance to decide the future of his generations to come. With the arrival of new citizens came the arrival of new machines and other inventions. Many, such as the steam-powered engine, helped to revolutionize manufacturing, farming, and industry overall. Cutting harvesting time in half and reducing the need for as many employees boosted output and profit for the South. While in the North, mass production spread like wild fire, finance and administration became more complex and necessary for business maintenance and development (ie,. loans and bankruptcy issues), the ideas of wholesale and retail took form (balanced the relationship between manufacturer and consumer by providing a "middleman" to satisfy each party's needs -- while at the same time receiving profit for completing this task), and commerce -- domestic and foreign -- had more than doubled, extremely enhancing the value of the products and economy of the United States (ie,. supply and demand system). Newly established businesses -- mainly mines, mills, and factories -- were opening up everywhere around the city center, as electric subways and cable cars transported the employees longer distances, faster, to these businesses.
"The technological boom in the 19th century not only revolutionized the age-old occupations such as farming but also contributed to the growing industrial strength of the United States." (The Americans, 446)
"New mills, factories, mines, and transportation systems needed millions of workers who lived close to the workplaces, most of which were located in the northeastern part of the United States." (The Americans, 446)
Along with the development of the economy came the development of transportation. Before 1873, urban areas were based on pedestrian transport - this would include travel on foot and by bicycle. In 1873, however, an invention called the cable car was developed in San Francisco. These "trollies" -- as they came to be called - were driven by moving underground cables. They provided the population with means for simple transportation that was fast, efficient, and allowed passengers to travel beyond their original 2 mile walking limit.
With the exception of a specific few, many urban neighborhoods were and still are divided up by ethnicity. In establishing this concept, newly arriving immigrants encountered people that spoke the same language they did, shared the same religious beliefs, celebrated similar culture-specific holidays and events, and had already learned about and become adapted to the world around them. Those who had come previously would teach the newcomers, eager to explain the language and way of their "new" homeland.
"The cities became vibrant, colorful collages of various ethnic groups -- "...an extraordinary, crazy quilt," as Jacob Riis called the New York of 1890." (The Americans, 447)
"Immigrants often clustered in ethnic neighborhoods with others from the same country.... Living among people who shared their background enabled the newcomers to speak their own language and practice their customs and religion while learning about their new home with the aid of those who had come before." (The Americans, 447)
When immigrants arrived in the United States, unless they were wealthy, had only taken what they could carry. This consisted mainly of whatever money they had, the clothes on their back, an extra set of clothes (if they were lucky), and a minuscule amount of food. This is the reason that most of the immigrants became city dwellers. Cities were much cheaper than any other residential servicing area and they were home to as many job opportunities as one would think of. In addition, most of these immigrants didn't journey far from the ports at which they had landed.
"Most of the immigrants who streamed in the United States in the late 19th century became city dwellers because cities were the cheapest and most convenient places to live. Most Irish immigrants, for example, initially settled in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia not far from the ports where they landed." (The Americans, 446)
In addition to the transformation and advancement of the economy and transportation systems, the issue of urban residence also arose. Being that the goal of a successful city was to keep its residences as close to the city center as possible, new buildings were designed to sit on top of the originals, this was known as "vertical citywide reform." From this, city areas became known as "urban jungles" and "concrete catacombs." The houses that immigrants first lived in were originally known as "row houses." The row houses were attached single-family houses that shared sidewalls with other similar houses (This style of housing, though used by the most poor of immigrants, sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars this day in age, and is now known as a town house). This building configuration packed many single-family residences on a single block. Once the population of the cities had grown considerably, it was realized that a new style of residence was needed to accompany the need for shelter. Soon after this problem began, an apartment complex called "dumbbell tenements" had been designed. The building was long and narrow, about five or six-stories high, and was shaped like a barbell. The cylinder design provided all apartments with a window that had outside access. Unfortunately, careless dumping of waste and garbage into this airshaft led to putrid, rotten, disease-ridden odors and bacteria. This caused more problems for the city than with the previous complex that contained a select few apartments with no windows. For those that could not afford to live in a shelter at all, an establishment called a settlement house, created by a few reformers in the late 1800s, was available to partially suit their needs. This community center supplied food and clothing, shelter, and a place to make a friend (This was the original design and purpose of the "homeless shelter" or "soup kitchen" that is still in effect today).
"...row houses.... dumbbell tenements, long narrow, five- or six-story buildings that were shaped like barbells." (The Americans, 448)
"In the late 1800s, a few reformers established settlement houses, community centers in slum neighborhoods that provided assistance and friendship to local men, women, and children -- especially immigrants." (The Americans, 451)
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