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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.”