Chapter 15-2: Critical Thinking # 5

What effects did the migration from rural areas to the cities in the late 19th century have on urban society? Think About:

• why people moved to cities
• the problems caused by rapid urban growth
• the differences in the experiences of whites and blacks

Migration from rural areas to the cities in the late 19th century effected the urban society. Since improvements were being made on farming technology, laborers were needed less in the fields. The reaper and steel plow could do the farming job much faster than by hand. Because of these improvements, people, once farmers, moved to cities to find replacements jobs. Coming from the South, the farmers were mainly African American. Once they settled in the cities to find jobs, they discovered that the new living conditions weren't much of a difference. (p.469)

In the Northern cities, the rapid urban growth did not turn out for the best. Segregation and discrimination were a huge part of the North, and since most farmers coming from the South were African Americans, the job competition effected the society because there was even more racial tension. (p. 469)

As rural migration settled in the Northern cities, the urban society did not turn out for the best. The racial violence, economic hardship, political oppression, and lack of jobs for the farmers of the South did not change and "stuck around" along with many other urban problems.