2.5 A Nation of Cities

How did technological advances in agricultural production push many farmers to migrate to cities?

• Increasing supplies of food caused prices to drop.

• Farmers went into debt to pay for new technology.

• There weren't enough workers to harvest larger crops.

• New technology demanded workers with appropriate skills.

Why were skyscrapers important to cities?

• They provided a recognizable skyline.

• They made cities seem more modern.

• They efficiently used small amounts of land.

• Their use of steel benefited the steel industry.

What was the key to preventing outbreaks of cholera in cities?

• less crowded living conditions

• clean water supplies

• access to health care

• development of antibiotics

Chicago became an important industrial center primarily because

• workers in the city were mostly unskilled.

• it was a key transportation center.

• skyscrapers attracted new business ventures.

• the meatpacking industry provided food for hungry job seekers.

Between 1860 and 1900, a primary cause of migration from rural to urban areas was

• inflationary pressure on crop prices.

• lack of rural housing as building slowed.

• increasing economic opportunity in cities.

• government resettlement policies.

Similar types of work in a particular place were often done by people who

• moved to America from the same country.

• had learned to do that work in their native land.

• had no alternative employment possibilities.

• wanted to find other work elsewhere.

Which of the following innovations had the greatest impact on standards of living in urban areas?

• skyscrapers

• electric streetlights

• electric cable cars

• steam engines

Why did many working class people remain in cities even though suburbs with better living conditions were available?

• It was difficult to get from the suburbs to the city in time for work.

• They preferred to continue living in the same place.

• Their employers required that they live close to where they worked.

• Transportation into and out of the city cost more than they could afford.