ch.15 sct.2 C.T.#5

The migration from rural areas to the cities had many effects on urban society.
People moved to the cities because with the advancement of technology and the merging of farming companies, there were less jobs available for people in rural areas (p.469). Supposedly, there were lots of jobs available in the cities, so people flocked there.
Rapid urban growth caused some problems. One problem was the lack of transportation, which they improved with innovations in mass transit (p.470), but still, there was the problem of the lack of space for so many people. Many families would be crammed into one tiny house, which led to sanitation issues (p.470). Crime rate also rose with the increase in population, as did the risk and occurence of fires, kindled by the many, many wooden houses (p.471). A shortage of water was also an issue. Not only did that worsen the fire situation, but people did not have enough clean water to drink (p.470). Another big problem was the (limited) amount of jobs available. With that many people all in one area, a certain number of jobs only went so far. The native-born Americans got angry at the immigrants for taking their jobs, and turmoil stirred (sct.1).
Blacks were also affected by the migration. They were all farmers, and lost their jobs when demand for human labor on farms decreased. Even in the north, they were discriminated against and it was hard for them to get jobs. On the other hand, some whites prospered from the migration. The farm owners had their machines - which were cheaper than hiring help - to keep their farms up, and the businessmen in the north could use the cheap labor of the new immigrants and desperate job-seekers.
The migration of people from the rural areas to the cities benefitted some people and hurt others.