Managing Late 19th Century Urbanization
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‘The consequences of urbanisation in the late nineteenth century were dealt with effectively.
ESSAY
This essay will critically examine the statement that "The consequences of urbanisation in the late nineteenth century were dealt with effectively." The rapid urbanisation during this period led to various social problems, including the development of slums and ghettos, overcrowding in tenements, poor sanitation, and exploitative labor conditions. In addition, corrupt city governments often neglected the needs of the urban poor, exacerbating these issues.
One of the most significant social challenges during this time was the proliferation of slums and ghettos. The influx of immigrants from Europe led to a rapid population growth in cities like New York, resulting in overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions. Tenement buildings, initially intended to accommodate the increasing population, quickly became overcrowded and lacked adequate sanitation facilities, contributing to the spread of diseases such as cholera and typhus. Furthermore, sweatshops, where many immigrant women worked, offered dangerous conditions and long hours without proper legislation to safeguard workers' rights.
The response to these challenges was mixed. While there were attempts to address some of the issues, such as campaigns for shorter working days and the development of the Progressive movement, progress was uneven. Campaigns for an eight-hour workday gained momentum in the 1870s, with some successes in cities like New York and Chicago. The Progressive movement, which emerged in the 1890s, sought urban social reform and made efforts to improve infrastructure and living conditions in cities like Detroit under the leadership of figures like Hazen Pingree. Additionally, muckraking journalism, exemplified by Jacob Riis's book "How The Other Half Lives," shed light on the harsh realities of urban poverty and contributed to the development of Progressivism.
However, the effectiveness of these responses was limited by various factors. The influence of corrupt city governments, exemplified by figures like Boss Tweed in New York, often undermined efforts to address urban issues. These city bosses prioritized their own interests over the needs of the urban poor and resisted meaningful social reforms. Furthermore, some reform efforts, such as crackdowns on activities like Sunday drinking, failed to resonate with the urban working class, particularly foreign-born populations.
In conclusion, while there were efforts to address the consequences of urbanisation in the late nineteenth century, the overall effectiveness of these responses was hampered by factors such as corruption, limited support for certain reform initiatives, and the persistence of social inequalities. While some progress was made, particularly through the emergence of the Progressive movement, the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation were not fully overcome during this period.
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The consequences of urbanisation in the late nineteenth century were dealt with effectively.’ How far do you agree with this view? Candidates are likely to focus on the problems caused by increased urbanisation, including:
- The most prevalent social problem was the development of slums and ghettos. A slum is an urban area of poverty and deprivation, while a ghetto is an ethnically distinct area, such as Chinatown or Little Italy, which is not wholly poor. Slums and ghettos were caused mainly by the rapid growth of population, especially immigrants from Europe. New York City grew from 1.2 million in 1860 to 3.4 million in 1900.
- Tenement buildings were devised to house the increased population, but they soon became overcrowded. Sanitation was inadequate; the water closet was not developed for mass production until the 1870s. Diseases that were common in such areas were rife, including cholera and typhus.
- Sweat shops provided the main form of employment for many, especially immigrant women. These were dangerous, and working hours were long as there was little legislation.
- The city government usually did little to address the problems of the slums due to corruption. Their governance was often in the hands of city bosses such as Boss Tweed in New York. They tended to exploit the ‘huddled masses’ that moved to their cities rather than introduce relevant social reforms. Candidates might discuss these problems in relation to any of the large, industrialised cities of the North, for example, New York, Chicago, and Detroit. Attempts to deal with these problems:
- During the second half of the nineteenth century, campaigns for shorter working days became more organised. During the 1870s, eight hours became a central demand, especially among labour organisers, with a network of Eight-Hour Leagues which held rallies and parades. A hundred thousand workers in New York City struck and won the eight-hour day in 1872, mostly for building trades workers. In Chicago, Albert Parsons became recording secretary of the Chicago Eight-Hour League in 1878 and was appointed a member of a national eight-hour committee in 1880.
- By the 1890s, however, the Progressive movement was starting to develop, intent on urban social reform. A leading example was Hazen Pingree, four-time mayor of Detroit, who set about improving the city’s infrastructure.
- In 1890, Jacob Riis, a Danish immigrant, published a book on slum conditions in New York entitled How The Other Half Lives, an early form of muckraking journalism which further helped the development of Progressivism in the early twentieth century.
- Progressives could get the support of the urban poor over campaigns against criminally corrupt administrations but crackdowns on Sunday drinking or the distribution of jobs and favors by ward bosses gained limited support amongst the foreign-born masses of the cities. Accept any other valid responses