Which factor helped lead to the urbanization in the United States that began in the early 1900s?

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Which factor helped lead to the urbanization in the United States that began in the early 1900s?
Marshall Field's Building, ca. 1898.

Between 1880 and 1900, cities in the United States grew at a dramatic rate. Owing most of their population growth to the expansion of industry, U.S. cities grew by about 15 million people in the two decades before 1900. Many of those who helped account for the population growth of cities were immigrants arriving from around the world. A steady stream of people from rural America also migrated to the cities during this period. Between 1880 and 1890, almost 40 percent of the townships in the United States lost population because of migration.

Industrial expansion and population growth radically changed the face of the nation's cities. Noise, traffic jams, slums, air pollution, and sanitation and health problems became commonplace. Mass transit, in the form of trolleys, cable cars, and subways, was built, and skyscrapers began to dominate city skylines. New communities, known as suburbs, began to be built just beyond the city. Commuters, those who lived in the suburbs and traveled in and out of the city for work, began to increase in number.

Many of those who resided in the city lived in rental apartments or tenement housing. Neighborhoods, especially for immigrant populations, were often the center of community life. In the enclave neighborhoods, many immigrant groups attempted to hold onto and practice precious customs and traditions. Even today, many neighborhoods or sections of some of the great cities in the United States reflect those ethnic heritages.

During the final years of the 1800s, industrial cities, with all the problems brought on by rapid population growth and lack of infrastructure to support the growth, occupied 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 the multiethnic, multicultural society that we cherish today.

To find additional sources in Loc.gov on this general topic, use such keywords as city, neighborhood, immigration, industry, urbanization, transportation, suburbs, slums, tenements, and skyscrapers.

Documents

  • Ben Dickstein
  • The Ginsbergs
  • Harry Reece (Daca) . . . His Story
  • Mr. Paul's Story
  • Suburban Living
    • Horse-drawn street car
    • Up the hill by trolley, Cincinnati, Ohio
    • Glenn Ellynn [i.e. Glen Ellyn], Ill., a suburban residence
    • Greenwood, a suburban residence, Savannah, Ga.
  • Vertical Growth of the American City
    • The Park Row Building, New York
    • The Tallest buildings in the world, New York City
    • A Group of skyscrapers, Pittsburgh, Pa.
    • New York Life Building, Chicago
    • State Street, Chicago, Ill.
  • Industrial Cities
    • Solvay Process Co.'s works, Syracuse [i.e. Solvary]
    • Globe Iron Works ship yard, Cleveland
    • Illinois Steel Works & harbor entrance, Calumet Riv., So. Chicago
    • Illinois Steel Works, Joliet

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Which factor contributed to the urbanization of the United States?

The industrialization of America led to huge population growth in urban centers; by 1900, 40% of Americans lived in cities. The industrialization of the late 19th century brought on rapid urbanization.

What led to the urbanization of cities during the 19th century?

“Cities grew because industrial factories required large workforces and workers and their families needed places to live near their jobs. Factories and cities attracted millions of immigrants looking for work and a better life in the United States.”

Why did urbanization grow in the United States during the 19th century?

US cities grew rapidly during the nineteenth century because of industrialization and immigration.

What led to urbanization?

The technological explosion that was the Industrial Revolution led to a momentous increase in the process of urbanization. Larger populations in small areas meant that the new factories could draw on a big pool of workers and that the larger labour force could be ever more specialized.