African-Americans Move To The City
American history professor Alice Kessler-Harris talks about the lack of equal opportunity on the job front for African-Americans who began moving to cities in the 1920's. "I think it's sometimes painful to acknowledge ju..
Age of the City, The: Ethnic City, The
Some cities are marked by clearly-defined ethnic neighborhoods, others are more diverse. Among immigrant families, men are usually the first to arrive, hoping to earn enough money to take back home. Historians call these..
Age of the City, The: Infrastructure and Political Issues
Growth forces cities to rebuild their infrastructure and reconceptualize their political systems in the late 19th century. In fact the governmental institutions and services we think of as essential to an American city a..
Age of the City, The: Lure of the City, The
The United States is becoming urban nation in the late 19th century. The industrial revolution has made the city the center of economic life, drawing young adults from country, African Americans from South, and immigrant..
Age of the City, The: Rise of Mass Consumption, The
Urban middle-class Americans are introduced to the fine art of "shopping" during the last decades of the 19th century. From 1880 onward there is the beginning of trade catalogues, national advertising and warehousing, an..
Age of the City, The: Strains of Urban Life
Increasing congestion places a strain on the capacity of cities to protect those who live within their boundaries. When plagues hit, like the cholera epidemic that invades cities in the 19th century, city officials are f..
Age of the City, The: Urban Landscape, The
The city at the end of the 19th century is a place of remarkable contrasts. Planning and building simply cannot keep up with the pace of growth. As one reformer laments, it is a challenge to make "a great city in a few y..
Alexander Hamilton: Target of Republican Mistrust
Historian Peter Onuf says that Republicans both feared and respected Alexander Hamilton, believing that he wanted to make the United States over in the image of Britain. "Many of Hamilton's troubles," Professor Onuf expl..
America in a World At War: African Americans and the War
Military service is an important integrative device, however, mixing is not going on across certain racial lines. During the war, white soldiers are not allowed to receive black blood, training bases in south are entirel..
America in a World At War: Arsenal of the Allies
The most decisive contribution the U. S. makes to the war is industrial production. The country becomes the arsenal of the Allies producing 49% of the world's goods and services. With so many millions of soldiers away wo..