Industrialization and Urbanization of America

The Industrialization and Urbanization of America


In the late 19th century and early 20th century, industrialization began to change the complexion of the American population, moving many from rural communities into the cities and many from the urban areas of the cities to its suburban areas. This change had many positive and negative effects but overall the positive effects outweighed the negative ones.
One of the main reasons for the population shift was the instillation of large factories in big cities. These plants attracted millions of workers into the cities’ urban areas, and by 1900 the urban population in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia had swelled to 6.5 million each.
Citizens in these large cities enjoyed the benefits of electric lighting in the cities, along with transportation provided first by horse cars and later by trolly. The municipal government also improved in these cities, becoming more centralized and better administered. These gov...