An industrial city is one whose start-up and growth can be attributed to the presence of industries in its current location. Industrial cities sprung up in many European countries during the industrial revolution in the 18th century. The cities appeared in full development of the industrial capitalism which was the core upon which many of today’s most powerful economies were built (Stave, P. 10). The urban cultural role of the cities augured well with the capitalistic economic order that dominated all the other social institutions (Henretta & Brody, 18). Wherever industries were located people settled there in search of labor and better livelihoods. Wherever industries sprung up, various other institutions such as banks and entertainment spots mushroomed to serve the industries’ workers and the industries themselves. The cities were characteristic of amenities such as electricity and clean water which attracted people in their droves (Yazawa, Fernlund & Henretta, P. 21). Thousands of people moved to settle in cities leading to the cities’ dominance in the development of several countries.
In the United States numerous cities arose after the declaration of independence in 1776. Most American cities emerged due to the concentration of industries at one place. From 1929 onwards, the US had several outstanding industrial cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, and Buffalo among others (Furstinger, P. 34). In the US, Chicago epitomizes a typical industrial city (Tumber, P. 17). According to Pacyga, the city’s growth was marred by numerous challenges such as fires and adverse effects of urbanization (24). These ranged from inefficient sewage systems, crime, unemployment, beggars among others. In addition the rule of the city godfathers typical of industrial cities across the world flourished in Chicago city more than in any other American city.
Chicago was started as in the mid 18th century, 1833 to be precise. The city is currently the home to more than 2.7 million people. Its metropolitan area has more than 9.8 million people making Chicago the third most populous metropolis in the United States (Pacyga, P. 12). Originally the place upon which the city stands was occupied by Potawatomi, a Native American community known (Stave, P. 8). The first foreigners arrived in the city in the 1780s led by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, who was a Frenchman of Africans descent (Stave, P. 8). Chicago was declared a town on August 12 1833 with a population of 200. This meager population would grow to 4000 in seven years (Stave, P. 9).
Furstinger, attributes the growth of Chicago to its strategic location as it lay between the Western and the Eastern United States (P. 45). The city had its first railway, Chicago Union and Galena Railroad which was opened in 1948. The opening of the Michigan and the Illinois canal allowed boats to sail from the Great lakes to the Mississippi river and thus opening up Chicago City for growth and expansion (Furstinger, P. 45). Numerous manufacturing companies were opened up in Chicago; some of the most dominant industries were beef factories. The harvester factory was a famous center for processing natural resources obtained from the West of the country. There were lumber factories, wheat factories among other factories dealing mostly in the processing of agricultural produce (Stave, P. 10).
Chicago’s rapidly increasing population choked its amenities. Its sewage system and basic civil infrastructure became dilapidated and the city lost face due to its declining standards of living. In addition there were an increasing number of unemployed people as the number of immigrants to the city was far more than the industries could absorb.
Chicago is currently home so several skyscrapers. The first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building was built in the City of Chicago in 1884 (Furstinger, P. 46). The 10-story building was constructed using steel. This building set the stage for the mushrooming of skyscrapers in the city of Chicago and beyond. Chicago’s meteoric growth experienced a major drawback in 1871 during the Great Chicago Fire (Pacyga, 24). The fire devastated Chicago’s Central Business District. It left in its wake 300 dead, 18,000 destroyed buildings while more than the city’s 300,000 residents were left homeless (Pacyga, 24). The fire was attributed mostly to the wooden structures and the numerous lumber factories in the city. Chicago’s administration resolved to change the city’s image by adopting masonry constructions. According to Pacyga, life in Chicago city was so badly affected by Sewage problems and outbreaks of waterborne diseases that Chicagoans reversed the flow of Chicago in 1900 and made it flow towards the Mississippi (P. 25). However, the coming into power of several influential mayors reversed the fortunes of Chicago city and set it on the path to improved livelihoods for all its citizens.
Chicago has changed greatly since 1929. In early 1900s Chicago had booming manufacturing and retail sectors which were sustained by the expansion of the city’s railway and road transport network. In addition to agricultural produce more commodities such as iron ores were brought to Chicago for processing. There was a construction boom in 1920s and in 1929 the US Supreme Court ruled to support the use of canals in the Chicago metropolis to promote commerce (Tumber, P. 36). From the 1930s onwards Chicago’s growth was hampered by the Wall Street crash in 1929, then the great depression of the 1930. The diversion of federal resources meant for the development to World War 2 meant that construction was adversely affected (Yazawa, Fernlund & Henretta, P. 67). In 1933 an International Exposition was held in Chicago. The exposition was attended by more than 40 million people and set the Chicago on the path to becoming one of the greatest cities in the United States. In addition, the 1930s saw the rise of the population of African Americans from 44,000 to 233, 000 during the Great migration, (Yazawa, Fernlund & Henretta, P. 68). This migration changed the culture of the city. Most notably, Chicago became a center for jazz music with jazz maestro King Oliver rising to popularity.
The coming into power of Mayor Daley in the 1950s was instrumental in setting up suburbs as places where the rich city residents lived. Many of the city’s white residents moved into suburbs while the city’s population of African American and immigrants lived in lesser affluent parts of the Chicago metropolis (Furstinger, 90). This latter group of Chicagoans was the majority and provided most of the unskilled labor in the city’s industries. Several structural changes were instituted that caused massive job losses, thereby worsening the lives of majority of Chicagoans. Housing became an issue of great concern among the many Chicagoans. In 1966, Albert Raby, Martin Luther King Jr. and James Bevel championed the Chicago Open Housing movement. The movement led to discussions with Mayor Daley after which several development projects were started for the benefit of all Chicagoans. Some of these projects include the Willis Tower, the University of Illinois based in Chicago and the O’Hare International Airport (Furstinger, P. 40).
Several great politicians have helped shape the modern day city of Chicago. The most notable politician from Chicago was Abraham Lincoln who is famed as the best president in the history of the U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas who’s widely famed for his handling of slavery issues was another great politician from Chicago. Other notable figures in the politics of Chicago included Richard J. Daley who was the mayor of Chicago in the 1950s (Pacyga, P. 50). Daley instituted plans to set up suburbs where the rich and affluent lived.
In 1979, Jane Byre was the city’s first female mayor while in 1983, Harold Washington became the first African- American mayor of Chicago. Richard M. Daley a son to former mayor J. Daley is became mayor in 1989 and is famed for improving Chicago’s parks and setting up a scheme to offer incentives to Chicago’s businesses (Pacyga, P. 44). In February 2011, Rahm Emanuel won the municipal election and is currently the mayor of Chicago.
Works cited
Furstinger, Nancy. Chicago. Edina, Minn.: ABDO Pub., 2005. Print.
Henretta, James A., and David Brody. America: a concise history. 4. ed. Boston [u.a.: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Print.
Pacyga, Dominic A.. Chicago: a biography. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009. Print.
Stave, Bruce M.. Modern industrial cities: history, policy, and survival. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, 1981. Print.
Tumber, Catherine. Small, gritty, and green: the promise of America's smaller industrial cities in a low-carbon world. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2012. Print.
Yazawa, Melvin, Kevin J. Fernlund, and James A. Henretta. Documents to accompany America's history. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. Print.
