Industrial growth and a new wave of immigration swelled the populations of American cities in the late 1800s. Cities changed quickly to accommodate so many new people, offering urban residents excitement and new kinds of entertainment. By 1900 New York City, Chicago,Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston, and Baltimore all had more than half a million residents. About 40 percent of Americans now lived in urban areas.
There were three main groups of people adding to the large urban populations: 1. Immigrants 2. Farmers looking for work as farm equipment replaced workers 3. African Americans from the south looking for work.
Building Skyscrapers
Constructing the Empire State Building
American cities such as Chicago were ill-prepared for the rapid urban growth of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Where was every-one going to live? How were people going to get from home to work on crowded city streets? Several new technologies helped cities meet these challenges. These technologies forever changed the look and function of U. S. cities. With so many people moving to urban areas, cities quickly ran out of building space in downtown areas. One solution would be to build taller buildings. Typical city buildings in the mid-1800s were only five stories tall, but taller structures were impossible to construct because the building materials available were either too weak or too heavy. This changed with the rise of the American steel industry in the late 1800s.
Mills began producing tons of strong and inexpensive steel. Soon, architects such as Louis Sullivan of Chicago began designing multistory buildings called skyscrapers. Architects used steel beams to make sturdy frames that could support the weight of tall buildings. This allowed builders to use limited city space more efficiently. The safety elevator, patented by Elisha Otis in the 1850s, helped make skyscrapers practical. Taller buildings made it possible for more people to live and work in city centers. This increased the need for mass transit , or public transportation designed to move many people. By the late 1860s New York City had elevated trains running on tracks above the streets. Chicago followed in the 1890s. Some cities built underground railroads, known as subways. In 1897 the first subway in the United States opened in Boston. In 1904 the first line of the New York City sub-way system began operation. Cable cars and electric trolleys also became common. These streetcars cheaply and quickly carried people in the cities to and from work.
The demand for public entertainment also led to the creation of amusement parks, such as New York’s Coney Island. The inexpensive entry tickets made Coney Island a favorite destination for children and families. For a nickel, visitors could ride a new invention called the Switchback Railway the country’s first roller coaster. As cities grew, people became aware of the need for open public space. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted became nationally famous. He designed Central Park in New York City, as well as many state and national parks. Some of his other well-known projects include Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York, and the U. S. Capitol grounds, which he worked on between 1874 and 1895.