Exam 1 Flashcards
What was a key factor in the social and economic development of the U.S. after the Constitution was ratified in 1789?
The growth of cities and the expansion into the continental interior
By the late 19th century, 40% of Americans lived in urban areas, and the economy shifted from agriculture to industry.
What antiurban attitudes developed among Americans in the late 19th century?
Fear and distrust of cities and urban residents
These attitudes became a defining feature of American culture.
What demographic shift occurred after World War II regarding urban and suburban populations?
Millions of southern Blacks moved to northern cities while many white families fled to the suburbs
This created perceptions of cities as ‘dangerous’ and ‘scary.’
During which decades did the urban population grow more than twice as fast as the overall U.S. population?
From 1790 to 1920
The Census Bureau defined urban populations as those living in cities and towns of 2,500 or more.
What significant infrastructure project completed in 1825 helped secure New York’s status as a premier city?
The Erie Canal
This canal connected the Hudson River to Lake Erie, facilitating trade.
What was the percentage of the U.S. urban population living in New York City in 1800 compared to 1900?
18% in 1800 and 7% in 1900
New York remained the largest city but its proportion of the urban population declined.
What modes of transportation was crucial for the development of cities in the U.S.?
Canals, turnpikes, and railroads
These links expanded cities’ reach and connected them to trade networks.
What impact did the completion of the Erie Canal have on trade routes to New Orleans?
Many producers abandoned the long journey down the Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers
New York’s direct connection to the heartland significantly increased its trade volume.
How many foreign immigrants came to America in the 1970s?
2.7 million
This number was doubled back in 5.2 million in the 1880s.
Which group faced the most hostility upon arriving in America during the 19th century?
The Irish
They were perceived as poor and Catholic, leading to widespread discrimination.
What was a common home for the American urban working-class neighborhood by the 20th century?
The tenement
Low-cost multiple-family rental buildings became prevalent in urban areas.
What was the design flaw of the dumbbell tenement?
Poor ventilation and sanitation
It maximized economic return at the expense of living conditions.
What percentage of New York City’s population lived in tenements by 1893?
70%
Most of these were dumbbell tenements.
How many African Americans migrated from the rural South to Northern cities between 1910 and 1970?
Approximately 6 million
This migration influenced urban demographics and politics.
What was a significant socio-economic advantage of Black Southern migrants compared to Northern-born peers?
Higher socio-economic status
They often fared better due to conditions in the North, such as residential segregation.
What was a common municipal issue faced by urban residents in the 19th century?
Inadequate water systems
This led to outbreaks of contagious diseases.
What was the outcome of rural legislators’ actions towards urban representation?
Cities were underrepresented in state and national politics
This allowed leaders to ignore urban issues like poverty and disease.
Fill in the blank: The __________ was a notorious tenement structure that maximized economic return at the expense of living conditions.
dumbbell
Named for its shape, it had narrow air shafts for light and ventilation.
True or False: By the turn of the 20th century, American cities provided fewer services than their European counterparts.
False
American cities generally offered more and better municipal services.
What year was the U.S. Constitution made?
1789
What was a significant driver of urbanization in the U.S. from the 1840s to the 1920s?
Immigration
What percentage of the U.S. population was urban in the 1790s compared to 1920?
5% in 1790s; 51.1% in 1920
List the three major changes that caused population growth in the U.S.
- Industrial changes
- Transportation changes
- Immigration
What historical events caused an influx of European immigrants to the U.S.?
Irish Potato Famine, Spring of Nations, and abolition of feudal system
What were the three phases of transportation development in the U.S.?
- Rivers
- Canals and locks
- Railroads
Remove
Remove
What term is used to describe African Americans who migrated to Kansas from Mississippi River states?
Exoduster
Who were the ‘Robber Barons’?
Wealthy owners of railroad companies
Name three prominent ‘Robber Barons’.
- Vanderbilt
- JP Morgan
- Carnegie
What significant urban change occurred in NYC in 1828?
Introduction of omnibuses (horse-drawn carriages)
What was the primary purpose of steam locomotives in the 1840s?
To transport people and goods, primarily for the wealthy
Fill in the blank: Between 1820 and 1919, ______ million foreign immigrants came to the USA.
33.5
What percentage of the population in at least 20 cities was foreign-born by the 1870s?
1/2
What was the living condition like in tenements in NYC during the late 19th century?
Unsafe, often without windows or bathrooms, housing many families
What is ‘Social Darwinism’?
The belief that the strongest survive, used to justify social inequalities
True or False: Municipal services became important in the later half of the 19th century.
True
What outbreak threatened prosperity in urban areas during the late 19th century?
Bubonic plague
What city was the first to provide police uniforms for officers?
Boston (1845)
What was the impact of railroad expansion on urban death rates?
Death rates dropped by about 20% in major cities
What did ‘Dillon’s Rule’ establish regarding cities?
Cities are created by states and charters can be amended at will
What were ‘dumbbell’ tenements named for?
Their shape
What is a machine in the context of politics?
Hierarchical organization with a single leader or boss at the top
Machines typically exert control over city governments and operate with minimal transparency.
What time period did the majority of the largest cities have political machines?
1870-1945
23 of the nation’s largest cities had machines during this time.
What event contributed to the decline of political machines?
The New Deal
Social security and other reforms reduced machine power, except in Kansas City.
What was the peak period for political machines?
1920s-1930s
Machines formally died out around 1976, with Chicago being a notable example.
Who controls major patronage jobs in a political machine?
Mayor, Party Leader, or Boss
These leaders control positions such as police, firemen, and sanitation workers.
What is a ‘floater’ in the context of political machines?
Someone that would offer up their vote to the highest bidder
What role do precinct captains play in political machines?
Responsible for delivering the vote
Each precinct typically had 400-600 votes.
True or False: Machines operated with formal rules and regulations.
False
Machines had discipline but no formal rules governing their operations.
What was the relationship between machines and labor unions?
Machines often opposed labor unions
Machines exploited racial and class divisions to secure votes.
What were some benefits provided by political machines to immigrants?
Jobs, food, and bail money
Machines helped immigrants assimilate and offered upward mobility.
What is ethnic particularism in relation to political machines?
Efforts to gain votes from specific ethnic groups
Machines minimized class and racial warfare by spreading benefits among diverse groups.
Who was Boss Tweed and what is he known for?
A prominent figure in Tammany Hall known for corruption
He famously mismanaged city funds and provided aid to the poor.
What significant political event involved LBJ and Duval County?
1948 LBJ Senate Primary
LBJ needed 200 votes to win and allegedly found 202 ballots to secure victory.
What social reforms did Sam ‘Golden Rule’ Jones implement?
8 hour workdays, paid vacations, public utilities
He introduced several progressive measures to improve worker conditions.
What did Hazen Pingree advocate for in Detroit?
Municipal ownership of public transportation and utilities
He also promoted increasing taxes on the wealthy and businesses.
Do political machines exist today?
No
The federal government has significantly altered the political landscape, making machines less viable.
What was a common sentiment among Americans by the late 19th century?
Many Americans had enough and wanted changes. Start of progessivism
What were the two main forms of Progressivism?
- Political reform
- Social reform
How did the upper and middle classes change their political focus?
They abandoned much partisan politics to the working and lower classes and turned attention to single issue politics.
What was a significant issue associated with women’s suffrage?
It came out of middle and upper class interests, wanting to add votes for machines.
What characterized machine politics?
It dominated the working and lower classes.
What ideology did urban liberalism promote?
Government intervention to ensure safety and promote the welfare of its citizens.
What was the Progressive Era’s time frame?
1870s‑1920s (some say 1900-1920s).
What did social reformers see themselves as?
Protectors of the victims of industrialization.
Who were the Muckrakers?
Investigative journalists who uncovered conditions in the city.
What is one negative aspect of yellow journalism?
It uses sensationalized, exaggerated, or fabricated news stories.
What was a key goal of Progressives regarding politics?
To purify and democratize politics and make it more efficient.
What was Taylorism also known as?
Industrial engineering.
What did Frederick Taylor’s principles focus on?
Developing a ‘science’ for every job.
What did the initiative, referendum, and recall processes aim to do?
Empower citizens to influence legislation and remove elected officials.
Fill in the blank: The Progressive movement aimed to contain _______.
corruption.
What does the term ‘social consciousness’ refer to in the context of Progressives?
Awareness of social issues and the desire to address them.
True or False: Progressives believed that politics and politicians were part of the solution to societal problems.
False.
What was one issue with progressive view on machine politics
They often exaggerated its power and influence.
What was the impact of the 17th national amendment?
It allowed for the direct election of Senators.
What did Progressives use to disenfranchise minorities in the South?
Literacy tests and voter registration.
What shift occurred in Progressivism over time?
From moralistic views to a belief in bureaucratic expertise.
Who conducted time management studies relevant to Taylorism?
- Brandeis
- Gilbreths
What was a key principle of Taylorism regarding workers?
Carefully select and train workers for specific jobs.
Fill in the blank: The Australian ballot was first implemented in _______.
Liouville, Kentucky.
What is the Culture of privatism?
Each town has its own capitalism, encouraging new opportunities, individual efforts, and aspirations over collective purposes or goals.
This culture promotes profit and personal advancement.
What was the purpose of the Land of the Indies?
Designed to provide protection for indigenous people so they wouldn’t get enslaved.
This initiative aimed to safeguard the rights of native populations.
What does the term Pueblo refer to?
Commerce.
It represents a community or town focused on trade.
What is the role of Missions?
Religious.
Missions were established for the purpose of spreading religious beliefs.
What is the function of a Presidio?
Military.
Presidio refers to fortified military posts.
What is MSA’s Metropolitan Statistical Area?
There are 50,000.
This refers to a specific statistical measurement of urban areas.
What characterizes a Walking city?
Everything was close together, produced near each other, by waterways.
Walking cities facilitated pedestrian access to various resources.
What is a Mercantile city?
A city that clusters around the waterfront, fostering a sense of community centered around traditional societies.
This type of city features banks, printing establishments, and commerce near rivers or harbors.
What is the significance of the term Omnibus?
Marked the beginning of the end of the walking city.
It indicates a shift in urban development and transportation.
Define Honest graft.
Taking advantage of insider knowledge to make personal gains while staying within the law.
This practice is often seen as ethically ambiguous yet legal.
What constitutes Dishonest graft?
Punish threats for personal gain outright bribery.
This form of corruption is illegal and unethical.
What are Kickbacks?
Corruption where someone gives money, gifts, or favors for favorable treatment in government or business deals.
This practice undermines fair business practices.
What are Protection fees?
Businesses pay machine operatives to run without government system, making it seem like a contribution to a machine.
This is a method of extortion disguised as a legitimate fee.
What led to the Emergence of mass electorate?
More immigrants and universal white male suffrage.
This change significantly impacted voting rights and political representation.
