Urban Areas In The 19th Century

The late nineteenth century was a time of change and evolution. Cities were becoming very popular and were quickly filling up creating the need for more space. While the city grew quickly it was not fast enough to hold the incoming immigrants and the other Americans migrating in. Urban areas quickly became overcrowded and poverty became a major issue not only because there were no more places to live but also because there were not many jobs left. Everything about the city was changing from the cultures that lived there to the industries that were in flourish. The changes greatly affected the things we see every day. The everyday perception of churches, school, and family life was evolving due to the frequent changes occurring during this

Many new cultures and religions were introduced which shifted the balance of the system the country had before. Protestant churches suffered in the sense that their religion seemed more for entertainment than for worship. From this formed a group called the liberal Protestants these people encouraged people to use the bible as a model and not take it literally. At the same time Roman Catholics and Jewish religions were on the rise. In the American Pageant it states, “By 1890 the variety-loving American could choose from 150 religious denominations”, the large number of religions supports the fact that the wide range of cultures made America overwhelmed by religions. There were also religious-affiliated organizations which popped up in the urban areas, groups like the Young Men’s (and Women’s) Christian Affiliation, had flourished since their creation before the civil war. Darwinism also posed a threat to religions as they took on an evolutionary hypothesis and challenged many religions. Darwinism promoted skepticism of many religions by comparing literature with other religions and disproving them. A commentator of Darwinism states, “Some call it evolution, And others call it God”. This emphasizes the skeptic’s idea which challenged various religions in America by debunking them. While religions have always played a large role in the development of America in the late

Though the city was densely population it was very easy to feel isolated in the crowed, which had a negative effect on family life. Families became separated from their clan and other family to the point where there was an exclusive arena for companionship and another for emotions, this placed major stress on the image of families and many had cracked under the pressure, creating a large increase in divorce rates. In the American Pageant this became known as the “divorce revolution”, the increase in divorce left broken homes for children and since the parents were no longer living in the same space a need for more housing locations. Not only was there divorce there was also a change in work habit and size of the family. Many members of the families worked, all the way to children as young as 10; all on different locations. This contrasted to farm life where everyone worked together. Due to high costs of food and crowding the birthrates were on a strong decline and families shrank in the nineteenth century. As women grew more independent they wanted families less and contraceptives became popular. In the text it states, “Marriages were being delayed and more couples learned the techniques of birth control”. In this phrase it shows how women want more independence by postponing weddings and how they could still have the married pleasures without worry of children. Families not being formed and children not