Between the period of 1880 and 1900, population in cities of the United States started growing at an alarming rate. This growth in population was mostly because of the expansion of industry, the cities in the U.S. grew to 15 million people in the last two decades of the 19th century. Most of the people who helped to increase the growth in population of cities used to be immigrants arriving from all over the world. Population growth and industrial expansion fundamentally and drastically changed the face of most American cities. Slums, air pollution, noise, traffic jams, sanitation and health problems started to become a commonplace. Mass transit, in the form of subways, trolleys and cable cars, was built, and skyscrapers started to dominate the skylines in the cities. New communities, called the suburbs, started building just across the major cities. Soon commuters, who resided in the suburbs and travelled from the suburbs to the cities for work, started increasing in number.
The population growth of cities outpaced the capacity of local governments to provide garbage collection, clean water and sewage systems in all areas within the city, leading to deterioration of city life. In the late 19th century, cities were crowded, the large and impersonal place where people came to make money. Corruption was rampant in the services and government, especially in construction among employers and landlords. Low wages, high rents and poor services started producing misery in the era of economic growth. Most of the people who lived in the city used to rent or live in tenant housing. This trend has continued till date, as many people working major cities of The United States prefer travelling to the city for work rather live in small and confined housing facilities.
References
Library of Congress. "City Life in the Late 19th Century - American Memory Timeline- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress." Library of Congress. Accessed May 27, 2014. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/city/.
