Urbanization

1. What is Urbanization?

Urbanization is the growth of cities.

2. For what reasons did a number of Americans move from the country to the cities?

The technological boom in the 19th century made many people want to move into the cities.  Certain devices, such as the McCormick reaper and the steel plow, made farming more efficient and fewer laborers were needed.  These laborers went to the city to look for work.

Also, many immigrants went to the cities because it didn't cost much to live there and jobs and opportunities were all around.

3. What were the housing problems that many poor city dwellers faced?

People in the cities had two options for housing: they could live outside the city and commute, or they could rent small rooms in a boardinghouse within the city.  Tenements, where many families lived in small spaces, were overcrowded and unsanitary.