How_Technology_and_Urban_Politics_Contributed_to_the_Development_of_American_Cities_Between_1865_and_1900

“How technology and urban politics contributed to the development of American cities between 1865 and 1900” Between 1865 and 1900, industrialization caused significant changes in lives of American people. First, public transit systems in big cities provided a way out of jammed streets. Second, the discovery of a method for transmitting electricity helped to light up people’s daily lives. Last, political parties in major cities came under the control of tightly organized group of politicians, who were making all the decisions and creating specific urban politics. The development of new public transit systems was important in shaping the design of our cities and the growth of our cities by enabling people to move further away from the inner city. Early on, large cities had very little and inadequate transportation. Their main sources of transportation were horses drawn wagons and walking. As a result, most people lived or took housing near downtown, which was where most of the working establishments were located. This made the big cities very congested. However with the breakthrough of the “el”, electric streetcars, and subways, around 1867, cities began to open up more. Those who were fortunate enough to move out of the slums and into better surrounding neighborhoods, did so. The more affluent of the white-collar classes moved into the suburban areas. In contrast, many of the very wealthy continued to live in city mansions. The new transit systems in most cities allowed people to escape the chaos of urban life and provided potential for growth of our cities. Thomas Edison’s discovery of electricity and a method of transmitting it, was significant in many ways. Due to this discovery, businesses could operate around the clock. We were no longer limited to the hours of daylight that the sun provided. Now, that cities were liberated from darkness people were able to be more productive, as well as businesses. Because electricity was supplied to homes and businesses, everyone was able to benefit from it. Successful party bosses knew how to manage the competing social, ethnic, and economic groups in the city. In many cases, the political machines that they ran brought modern services to the city, including a crude form of welfare for urban newcomers. The political organization would find jobs and apartments for recently arrived immigrants and show up at a poor family’s door with baskets of food during hard times. But the political machine could be greedy as well as generous and stole millions from taxpayers in the form of graft and fraud. Due to industrialization, many changes were made in people’s daily lives. First, work was no longer limited to daylight hours. Second, improvements of public transit systems in cities allowed us to live further away from the chaotic city. Finally, changes in urban politics altered and developed new society in the growing cities.