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Urbanization In The United States

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I was charged with the immense task of writing an executive summary on the state of our nation in regards to urbanization. Though this is a large and some may say difficult task I am surely up for the challenge. Outsiders looking in on the United States may say that though the U.S has a few problems, for the most part, it is doing well as a country. I argue against that, though compared to other countries it may seem that it is safer with a well-organized government that is just a facade. Though on the "outside" America may seem like it a pleasant place the only thing separating it from many third world countries is our government and big businesses. Aside from that America can be compared to the Wild West with it is massive amounts of violence …show more content…

(Pg. 142, Massey) However in the United States, the industrial revolution did not occur until about early nineteenth century. The industrial revolution brought three significant developments that would later lead to urbanization. The first being transportation or more so the expansion of transportation, with the American industrial revolution, came when steam engine trains were created. Trains allowed for people travel from one end of the country to the other, making it easier for young adults and others to break away from their family and start a life all of their own. The second significant development was electricity or to be more precise electric generators and other ways to safely and successfully harness power. With this came elevators and the ability to create massive skyscrapers. (Pg. 149, Massey) Making it possible for cities to grow to size that before were unimaginable. The amount of people living in these urban cities skyrocketed. The third and final significant development that would eventually lead to urbanization was the creation of factories. More so the ability to break down production into smaller steps allowing plants to produce more at a lower cost. Which eventually would lead to the division of labor. (Pg. 143, …show more content…

The combination of this longer life expectancy, lower mortality and the ability to build building sky high was like a breeding ground for massive cities. By the end of the First World War over thirty cities had populations of a million or more. (Pg. 151, Massey) Along with the growth of cities, there was growth in these newly formed factories. By the 1930’s the typical factory had anywhere from sixty to a hundred thousand employees, many of them being low-level employees. (Pg. 152, Massey) Many of these major cities were built around factories and ports. By the end of the industrial revolution, more people were living in urban cities than anywhere else causing a need for structure and stability. For that reason police and fire departments were created alongside with the local government, to monitor these departments. (Pg. 153, Massey) Also, during this time, massive amounts of people from

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