Transcript Chapter 20
The Rise of the Urban Order A boss at work—for Plunkitt politics is “help” Boodle—honest graft as opposed to “Black” graft—what if anything is positive about honest graft and what is negative? George Washington Plunkitt holding court with his constituents at his shoeshine stand. Chinese Louis Pasteur’s work with immigrants bacteriaon would save millions of shipboard lives worldwide. making their way to America. A New Urban Age • Cities’ relations to regions around them —cities dominate their environments • Push and pull factors —population booms pushed, industrialization, jobs pulled • Chinese immigrants—wars, • • European taxes, cheap European goods push immigrants The “new” immigration travel below decks in —Eastern, Southern Europe steerage, while Immigrant profile —young, higher-paying little or no English, customers look uneducated, non-Protestant on from above. An electric trolley getting ready for another business day. • Patterns of settlement—cities develop in rings: slums, “zone of emergence,” suburban fringe • Role of electricity—trolleys at twice the speed of horses, then subways possible • Perils of the slum neighborhood—gambling, prostitution, alcoholism, disease A dumbbell tenement. John Roebling, who oversaw much of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge from his sick room after he got a severe case of the bends. Running and Reforming the City • The boss as entrepreneur—corporate structure: politics is business • A crude welfare system– “You can’t do nothin’ with the people unless you do something for them” Lincoln Steffens, a “muckraking” journalist who criticized city government; New York City “Boss” Richard Croker. William Marcy Tweed in a Thomas Nast cartoon and real life. Tweed was probably the most infamous of all the city bosses in New York City or anywhere else. Examples of the anti-immigrant propaganda distributed by the Nativist movement, resulting in the Chinese Exclusion Act, among other things. • The settlement house—help and “Americanization” for poor and foreign born w/o the overdose of religion END OF READING Jane Addams sits with an immigrant child. Addams established the most famous of the settlement houses, Hull House. City Life • Urban social stratification—rich 1% with 25%; middle one-third with 50% (latter’s influence growing—why is a strong middle-class important?) • Ethnic neighborhoods—cities were mosaics but constantly changing (why?); Chinese most “ghettoized” • Adapting to America—newspapers, immigrant aid societies • Family life– “picture brides”; men ruled/women managed; little adults; collective decisions: e.g.--one daughter unmarried • Special situation of the Chinese—frozen sex ratio leads to “paper sons” • Assimilation—younger quicker, causing “generation gap” Frances Willard, the second and most effective president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union; Anthony Comstock, who campaigned for anti-pornography and anti-gambling laws. • The home as haven and status symbol—one-third owners • The middle-class homemaker—full time • Woman’s Christian Temperance Union —all-around reform, beginning with drunkenness • Comstock Law—restriction of lust from the mails • Victoria Woodhull—“I am a free lover!” • Urban homosexual Victoria Woodhull (top right), who advocated communities—cities sexual freedom and was provide more open environment portrayed as Mrs. Satan. City Culture • Postgraduate education—filled need for managerial, technical, literary knowledge • Higher education for women—opportunities mushroom post-bellum until 40% women • Department stores—democratizing effect •Montgomery Chain Aaron stores and mail-order houses Ward, the innovator of the mail-order catalog and a catalog from his main competition, Sears Roebuck, Co. [play video • Sports and class distinction • Spectator sports for the urban masses A Tufts University player tossing the old melon; the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The original bicycle and “safety” bikes used by police; people playing a polite game of croquet.