The rapid growth of the 19th century created some problems for major cities. Population growing at such a fast rate in the cities created some health and environmental issues. Along with the growing cities came an increase in inequality between immigrants, the new middle class, and the wealthy.

As the cities were growing so was the need for more transportation. Trolleys and trains were the main mode of transportation. The new rails systems also increased congestion and created new safety hazards for pedestrians (Armitage, Buhle, Czitrom, & Faragher, 2009). Elevated trains were created, but still left the population under the shadow of noisy, rickety wooden platforms, and air pollution increased by unrestricted burning of coal to fuel railroads. Modern water and sewer systems which brought indoor plumbing to most homes were created but they did not eliminate serious environmental or health issues. Cities would continue to dump sewage into nearby bodies of water even after governments established separate clean-water systems. Rivers and streams would still be polluted. Overcrowded conditions and inadequate sanitary facilities bred tuberculosis, smallpox, and scarlet fever, among other contagious diseases. Children’s diseases like whooping cough and measles spread rapidly through poor neighborhoods (Armitage et al., 2009). Many people including immigrants and African Americans would flood major cities looking for a better life. Without much choice of place of residence because of racial or ethnic lines these groups would be compelled to live in the dingiest, most crime ridden, and dangerous sections of town. The more inequality and social lines drawn in the rapid growth of the major cities in the 19th century the more problems they would later be faced with.

Despite many technological advances, the quality of life in the nation’s cities did not necessarily improve (Armitage et al., 2009). The rapid growth would spring up new problems for our nation. Some of these problems would be addressed after the turn of the century, and some would intensify.

References-

Faragher, J. M., Buhle, M. J., Czitrom, D., & Armitage, S.H. (2009). Out of many: A history of the American people (5th ed.). Volume II. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.