COLONIAL PERIOD

Rise of American Cities from the Colonial Period to 1920's

Rise of American cities from the colonial period to 1920s

By 1920, America had become an urban nation. The census figures for that year demonstrated for the first time that more Americans lived in cities than in the rural countryside. The rise of an urban society, however, also profoundly changed attitudes as Americans strove to move in new directions, fed by what has been called the “mass production consumption society.” The struggle between an urban mindset and a more conservative, rural paradigm often created the myths of countryside patriotism and character(John, 2008). It was here that late 19th century Populism thrived. In contrast, the urban movement was frequently viewed as a threat to traditional shared values.

The Lure of the City and its Secrets

Theodore Dreiser's novel Sister Carrie was first published in 1907, several years after he wrote it, and numerous publishers refused to consider it. It is the story of Caroline Meeber who leaves Columbia City for Chicago in 1889 at age 18. According to professor emeritus of history Kenneth Lynn, it is also the story of a “freewheeling, unconnected American girl” who becomes seduced by the big city(John, 2008). Dreiser wrote that “the city has its cunning wiles…There are large forces which allure with the soulfulness of expression possible in the most cultured human.” (John, 2008)While the rural countryside boasted white farming families predominantly associated with the literalist Protestant denominations, cities were the haven of political corruption, vice, unhealthy distractions, and feared Catholicism. The large urban centers featured the stately homes of plutocrats along broad avenues dotted with parks yet also contained the slums of the poor, many of which were immigrants.

Palisades Park was one of many venues that offered a day of fun and escape. Like Coney Island in New ...