Cities have evolved since 1900.
The early 1900s were a transformative time for cities. Improvements in elevator technology made it possible to build taller buildings. Cities grew horizontally as well as vertically. At the same time, immigrants poured into cities, seeking jobs and a new life. City governments were forced to enact policies about sanitation and building safety. Those seeking to compare modern cities to those in the 1900s will find much that is familiar. Other aspects will be startlingly different.
Instructions
1. Compare photographs of cities. A good source of visual information will be museums, such as the Museum of the City of New York. Turn of the 20th century buildings were lower to the ground and used different building materials, such as granite and limestone. In 1913, the world's tallest building was the 55-story Woolworth building in New York City.
2. Research maps of cities, available online and in books. Maps will provide answers to questions such as: How much public space and parkland was there? Where were the city limits? How were cities connected to outlying areas? How extensive were roads?
3. Review census data for population information. The 1900 census has information on topics such as city population, country of origin, foreign parentage and years in the U.S.
4. Read encyclopedias to get information about characteristics of the city. What sort of public transportation was available, for example. Electric trolley cars and horse drawn carriages were popular at the turn of the 20th century.
5. Look through newspapers to get an understanding of political life. Regulation is a much more important feature of urban life in modern times than at the turn of the 20th century. Patronage and political machines played an important part in 1900 politics.
