The impact of industrialisation

The impact of industrialisation: Millions of people uprooted themselves from the land to move the cities. In 1860, 20% of the pop lived in towns, 40% in 1900, 52% in 1920. In 1880, the population of more than a hundred cities doubled. In 1930, there were 3 cities with more than a million habitants (this increase was also due to an increase of immigration immigrants constituted the major part of this urban population), 2/3 of immigrants settled in cities. They made up 50% in Chicago, 48% in NY. In the west 60% in St Louis. There is an urban population growth of 3.5 % a year between 1870 and 1910. Rural population: +1.25%. the concentration of the nations wealth increased in urban areas : In 1890 ,the value of none form real estate was double the value form (twice more expensive to buy a none farm estates than a farm). Consequences = negative effects = concentration of people in cities led to lots of housing problems, new buildings had to be built to accommodate this thousand of new city dwellers. Fire was a constant threat because of wooden construction (in Chicago in 1871 thousand of people became homeless because of a fire)). In addition until 18.., there were no federal laws requiring developers to provide their tenants with light. Industrial and human wastes were nobodies concern, people could throw garbage out. The factories cheminies would continually belch out poisonous smokes in the atmosphere. In NY until 1900, pigs were sometimes released in the streets to eat up the garbage. There were almost no light, no ventilation and must cities had no pavement (sea of mud when it was raining).

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