Life At The Turn Of The 20Life At The Turn Of The 20thth Century Century
US HistoryMr. Basich
Section 1: Objectives
• By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:
• 1. Describe the impact of technological advances on turn of the century urban planning.
• 2. Summarize turn of the century communication innovations.
Section 1: Science and Urban Life
• Main Idea: Advances in science and technology helped solve urban problems, including overcrowding.
• Why it Matters Now: American cities continue to depend on the results of scientific and technological research.
• Key Terms:• Central Park
• Key Names:• Orville and Wilbur Wright• George Eastman
This is how I feel today:
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20% 20% 20%20%20%1. Great
2. Good
3. Average
4. Not so good
5. Horrible
20
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Science and Urban Life:
• By the turn of the 20th century, four out of ten Americans lived in cities
• New Inventions and innovations began to emerge to make life easier in the city
• Subways, skyscrapers, electric streetcars, bridges, and parks all made life easier in the cities
• New printing techniques (double sided) allowed more people to have access to the newspaper – literacy went up
Central Park
• Central Park - made up of 840 acres of land in the middle of New York City
• Designed to be a relaxing place in the center of a busy city.
• The park took many years to construct but is still used today by millions of people each day!
Why is Central Park important to the residents of New York City?
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:201. It offers them a place to
“get away from it all”
2. It conserves the land in the center of the city
3. It is much different than the area that surrounds it
4. All of the above are true
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Photography Explosion:
• George Eastman introduced his Kodak Camera – a lightweight easy to use device
• The $25 camera came with 100-picture roll of film
• Everyday people could now take pictures, not just professionals
1888 Kodak Camera
Airplanes:
• In the early 20th century,
brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright, experimented with engines and aircrafts
• On December 17, 1903 they flew their plane for 12 seconds covering 120 feet
• Within two years the brothers were making 30 minute flights
• By 1920, the U.S. was using airmail flights regularly
The Wright Brothers get it….Right
Did We Meet Our Objectives?
• Can You:• 1. Describe the impact of
technological advances on turn of the century urban planning.
• 2. Summarize turn of the century communication innovations.
Section 2: Objectives:
• By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:
• 1. Analyze the expansion of public education at the turn of the 20th century.
• 2. Describe the growth of higher education.
Section 2: Expanding Public Education:
• Main Idea: Reforms in public education led to a rise in national literacy and the promotion of public education.
• Why it Matters Now: The public education system is the foundation of the democratic ideals of American society.
• Key Names:• Booker T. Washington• W.E.B. Dubois
Expanding Public Education:
• States passed laws requiring 3 - 4 months of education for students ages 8-14
• Do you think 3-4 months of school is enough?
• New schools were built to accommodate all the students
• Regular and Vocational schools were built
Turn and Talk: Discussion
• Please discuss the following questions with a partner:
• Why do you think that school reform became an issue during this time period?
• Do you think it is a good idea to offer a vocational program in schools (like Auburn)? Why or why not?
• What do you think parents thought about their children being “forced” to go to school?
Expanding Higher Education:
• Before 1900, only 3% of people went to college
• Between 1880 and 1920 college enrollments more than quadrupled
• Most of these students were white males
• African Americans were mostly excluded from secondary education
African American Universities Formed:
• After the Civil War, thousands of African Americans pursued higher education – even though white schools wouldn’t admit them
• Booker T. Washington – believed that racism would end once blacks acquired useful labor/educational skills and proved their value to society
• W.E.B. Dubois – founded the Niagara Movement which sought liberal arts educations for all blacks
Booker T. Washington
Turn and Talk:
• How might the economy and culture of the United States have been different without the expansion of public schools?
Did We Meet Our Objectives?
• Can You:• 1. Analyze the expansion
of public education at the turn of the 20th century.
• 2. Describe the growth of higher education.
Section 3 Objectives:
• By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:
• 1. Trace the historical underpinnings of legalized segregation and the African American struggle against racism in the United States.
• 2. Summarize the turn of the 20th Century race relations in the North and the South.
Section 3: Segregation and Discrimination:
• Main Idea: African Americans led the fight against voting restrictions and Jim Crow laws.
• Why it Matters Now: Today, African Americans have the legacy of a century long battle to civil rights.
• Key Terms:• Poll Tax• Grandfather Clause• Segregation• Jim Crow Laws• Debt Peonage
• Key Terms / Cases:• Plessy vs. Ferguson• Lynching
Section 3: Segregation and Discrimination:
• By the turn of the 20th century, Southern States had adopted a broad system of legal discrimination
• Blacks had to deal with voting restrictions, Jim Crow laws, Supreme Court set-backs, and physical violence
Voting Restrictions:
• All Southern states imposed new voting restrictions and denied legal equality to African Americans
• Some states limited the vote to those who could read, other states had a poll tax which had to be paid prior to voting
• Do you think people should have to pass a test in order to be able to vote?
More Voting Restrictions:
• Since there were some white men that couldn’t pass the simple literacy test, a Grandfather Clause was created.
• Grandfather Clause – Men were allowed to vote if he, his father, or his grandfather had been eligible to vote before January 1, 1867.
• Blacks couldn’t vote before 1867!!!
Jim Crow Laws:
• Southern states passed Segregation Laws - separated white and black people in public and private facilities
• These laws came to be known as “Jim Crow Laws” - Racial segregation in schools, hospitals, parks, and transportation systems throughout the South
Plessy vs. Ferguson:
• In 1896, in Plessy v. Ferguson the Supreme Court ruled that the segregation of races was legal and did not violate the 14th Amendment
• “Separate but equal”
• This decision legalized racial segregation for almost 60 years.
• Turn and Talk – Can “separate but equal” work?
Violence:
• African Americans who did not follow the racial “etiquette” could face severe
punishment or death• Between 1882-1892, more
than 1,400 black men and women were shot, burned, or lynched
• Lynching - illegal executions involving:
• 1. Beating to death• 2. Burning to death• 3. Hanging to death
Did We Meet Our Objectives?
• Can You:• 1. Trace the historical
underpinnings of legalized segregation and the African American struggle against racism in the United States.
• 2. Summarize the turn of the 20th Century race relations in the North and the South.
