Title: Growth of Cities, Urbanization of America, People, USA, North America - settlement house movement, sensational stories, corrupt officials, illegal alcohol, unintended effect
Headings: Urbanization of America, Growth of Cities
Urbanization of America, Growth of Cities
settlement house movement, sensational stories, corrupt officials, illegal alcohol, unintended effect

Content: Urbanization of America :: Growth of Cities
Urbanization of America, Growth of Cities
settlement house movement, sensational stories, corrupt officials, illegal alcohol, unintended effect
Until the middle of the 19th century, the center of the city was the most fashionable place to live. Merchants, lawyers, and manufacturers built substantial townhouses on the main thoroughfares within walking distance of the docks, warehouses, offices, courts, and shops where they worked. Poorer people lived in back alleys and courtyards of the central city. Markets, shops, taverns, and concert halls provided services and entertainment. The middle classes lived a little farther from the center, and other poor people lived in the suburbs, farther from the economic and governmental centers and away from urban amenities such as town watches, water pumps, and garbage collection. Cities were densely populated, as people had to live within walking distance of work and shops. Streets were narrow, just wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and wagons. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries transformed urban life and gave people higher expectations for improving their standard of living. The increased number of jobs, along with technological innovations in transportation and housing construction, encouraged migration to cities.