How Did Jacob Riis Contribute To The Rise Of Urbanization

Urban growth became increasingly popular in the late nineteenth century due to the fact of industry on the rise. Urban growth brought on many unsafe living places for many people. Jacob Riis was a photographer who snapped some pictures of the living conditions of some people in the city. He is able to convey in these pictures how people slept or did their laundry or even stayed warm. Riis was able to show the rest of the world, including the higher classes, how the lower classes lived and worked and learned.

The expansion of industries brought on the idea of urbanization. Urbanization is defined as “the act or fact of urbanizing, or taking on the characteristics of a city” Many families moved into tenement housing or rented apartments. The bulk of these residents were immigrants from either Germany or Ireland seeking for better opportunities in America. Since these immigrants would all live in a cluster, they tried to keep the traditions and customs they had back home. These immigrants were able to pass down their heritage from generation to generation even though they were nowhere near their homeland. It’s still evident today of these

traditions and customs being passed down, especially in parts of New York City.
Jacob Riis was a Danish American who experienced living in these housing arrangements a greater portion of his life. Riis knew the Lower East Side of New York City since he worked as a police reporter for newspapers. His photographs of the different living situations was able to bring reality to everyone of how horrid the conditions of living were. He shows how urban growth had a negative effect when it came to people’s safety and sanitation.
Since Jacob Riis used photographs instead of drawing or sketching something, he was able to convey how real and personal these people were.

Riis was able to take pictures of reality so that everyone could see, even many years later. If these pictures were staged, like some people claim they are, then it would shatter everything that happened because of these photos. In “Five Cents a Spot,” it shows the viewer how cramped the living quarters were and how some people had to sleep sitting straight up. In the photograph “One of four Pedlars Who Slept in the Celler of 11 Ludlow Street Rear,” a young man has laid a piece of wood across two barrels and then stuck a mattress on the top of the wood. That was his sleeping arrangements, while some people had no idea these immigrants or lower class citizens had such horrid

conditions.
As was mentioned previously, these photographs were able to bring about reform. Jacob Riis was a muckraker. Jacob Riis included these photographs in his book where it talked about how many people lived in an apartment, which was usually around 20, and how the infant mortality rate was very high. The public became outraged by the horrible conditions and demanded for reforms, which is a form of muckraking since it brought upon change. Tenement houses were made to be much bigger and more equipped for many people in one house. It also brought on the reform for sanitation in these buildings and ventilation.
Jacob Riis was used muckraking to prove how horrid the living conditions were. Urban growth had its negative side effects, but many things were changed to improve urbanization thanks to Jacob Riis and people like him. Urban growth brought a lot of different cultures together and has spread nationwide.