The over-arching theme of chapter 25 is that in the late 1800s, the Industrial Revolution forced the American city to gain dominance over rural America.

1. Cities grew because factories grew. The Industrial Revolution kicked into gear in America in the late 1800s and factories needed workers, so people flocked to the cities.
2. Problems arose as cities boomed. The problems included: exploitation of immigrant laborers, poor/unhealthy work conditions, over-crowdedness and sanitation problems, corrupton, and “nativism” (anti-immigrant feelings).
3. Booker T. Washington & W.E.B. DuBois were the top black leaders. They disagreed on how to help blacks—Washington encouraged blacks to obtain a practical skill at a trade school, DuBois encouraged blacks to study anything they wished, even academic subjects.
4. The roles of women began to change, if only slightly. More women worked, though most were still at home. The “new woman” was idealized by the althletic, outgoing “Gibson Girl.”