Cities of the Future Worksheet Flashcards
What two key innovations made very tall buildings possible?
Steel and elevators.
Who invented the elevator and in what year?
Elisha Otis in 1852.
Which building is considered the first skyscraper and where was it built?
The Home Insurance Building, built in Chicago in 1885.
What was the first skyscraper in New York City?
The 11-story Tower Building, built in 1889.
How tall was the Woolworth Building when it was built in 1913?
55 stories tall.
Why was public transportation particularly necessary in San Francisco?
The city has many very steep hills, making walking distances more difficult.
When was the Eads Bridge built and where is it located?
Built in 1874, it is located in Saint Louis.
What was the significance of the “test elephant” for the Eads Bridge?
It was used to prove the bridge was sturdy and safe because people believed elephants would not cross an unstable bridge.
Who invented the telephone and in what year?
Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.
What invention did Thomas Edison perfect and patent in 1876?
The incandescent light bulb.
Where and when did Edison build the first commercial power station?
In New York City in 1882.
What significant change in timekeeping occurred in 1869?
The Earth was divided into 24 time zones.
What was “railroad time” and when did the US adopt it?
“Railroad time” was a standardized time system across 4 time zones in the US, adopted on November 18, 1883.
When did Congress officially adopt “railroad time”?
In 1918.
What was the significance of the Brooklyn Bridge when it was completed in 1884?
It connected Brooklyn with Manhattan and was the largest suspension bridge in the world.
Which is the oldest subway system in the Americas and when was it built?
Boston’s T, built in 1897.
When did US cities start paving all of their streets?
In the 1890s.
