Stephen Feinstein - The 1900s

Published in 2016 by Enslow Publishing, LLC.

101 W. 23rd Street, Suite 240, New York, NY 10011

Copyright 2016 by Enslow Publishing, LLC.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Feinstein, Stephen.

The 1900s / Stephen Feinstein.

pages cm. (Decades of the 20th and 21st centuries)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Summary: Discusses the decade 1900-1909 in the United States in terms of culture, art, science, and politicsProvided by publisher.

Audience: Grade 9 to 12.

ISBN 978-0-7660-6920-6

1. United StatesCivilization1865-1918Juvenile literature. 2. United StatesPolitics and government1901-1909Juvenile literature. 3. Nineteen hundreds (Decade)Juvenile literature. I. Title.

E169.1.F3529 2015

973.8dc23

2015010942

Printed in the United States of America

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Photo Credits: Archive Photos/Getty Images, pp. (top).

Cover Credits: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (Wilbur and Orville Wright); The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images (Princess Louise); Science Source/Getty Images (Albert Einstein); William Thomas Cain/Newsmakers/Getty Images (Teddy Roosevelt).

Contents

Introduction

Pop Culture, Lifestyles, and Fashion

Entertainment and the Arts

Sports

National and International Politics

Advances in Science, Technology, and Medicine

Conclusion

Timeline

Glossary

Further Reading

Index

Many Americans moved to cities to take jobs in factories.

Introduction

The year 1900 marked a new beginning. During the nineteenth century, America had grown from a small group of states on the East Coast to a mighty nation spanning the continent from ocean to ocean. The nation had survived a terrible civil war and emerged stronger and better. Countless pioneers made the often dangerous overland trek to the West in covered wagons. Americas reputation as a land of opportunity continued to grow at the turn of the twentieth century. Millions of people from around the world who were filled with hopes and dreams for a better life packed their bags and headed to America.

Americans looked to the future with confidence. It seemed that the United States was about to join the ranks of other great powers, such as Great Britain and France. The US Army and Navy became stronger. Americans began taking a greater interest in world affairs. The nation was about to take its place as a major player on the world stage.

In 1900, about 60 percent of Americans still lived in rural areas, mainly on farms. To get to town, they had to hitch up a horse to a buggy. Soon, many Americans would toss away their buggy whips and drive around in their new horseless carriagescars. Few would have believed that within just a few years, people would travel through the air in flying machines. Work was different, too. People moved from rural farms to cities and took factory jobs. They earned steady wages and bought new products.

Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States for almost all of the twentieth centurys first decade. He was confident and charming. Americans liked his attitude. Roosevelt used common sense to solve problems. He seemed ready for any challenge. The young president helped settle disputes with other countries. He also cracked down on greedy factory owners. Theodore Roosevelt was a bold leader for a bold time in America.

Not all was perfect, however. Many factory jobs were unsafe and paid little. Many families were poor. Children had to quit school to work. They toiled long hours just to help their families buy food. Women were not considered equal to men. They did not have the right to vote. African Americans were often treated poorly, especially in the South. They were denied the same rights as white citizens. It would take years for these inequalities to change.

These problems aside, the first decade of the twentieth century was a time of great excitement and anticipation. The world seemed to be getting smaller. People could send messages quickly over long distances even across oceans. New machines were being created that would make it easier to travel to faraway places. For fun, people could watch stage plays and sporting events. But film was also getting started. Art, books, and music were also changing as authors and artists began to explore new styles and ideas. The decade 19001909 was a time when people looked to the future.

Pop Culture, Lifestyles, and Fashion

The first decade of the new century was exciting. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, people now used machines to manufacture things and worked together in factories. New inventions were inspired and followed by gains in science and medicine. People began living longer.

The Expansion of Urban Areas

A massive wave of immigration began around 1890. This continued during the first decade of the 1900s. Almost nine million men, women, and children arrived in the United States between 1900 and 1910 in search of a better life.

America was in the midst of transforming from a nation of farms, shops, and mills into a booming industrial power with factories that needed workers. Major cities, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, bustled with the energy of newly arrived immigrants. Adding to the exploding population of cities were hundreds of thousands of native-born, rural American migrants who were drawn to the cities for the same reasons as foreign immigrantsfor better economic opportunities. In 1900, only 40 percent of Americas nearly seventy-six million people lived in urban areas. By the end of the decade, 45 percent of the nations population, which had grown to almost ninety-two million, lived in cities. The day would soon come when Americas urban population would outnumber the rural population.

Connecting the World

As the twentieth century dawned, people finally were able to communicate quickly with those around the world. Telegraph communication across land had been a reality for most people for some time, but sending messages to other continents was not a possibility until telegraph cable had been installed to run across every major ocean. That project was completed in 1902.

Soon, a new invention would replace the telegraph. Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi (above) designed a device to transmit signals through the air and another device to receive them. Marconis wireless invention was called radio. At first, Marconi was able to send radio signals only over short distances. In December 1901, however, he successfully sent a message from England to Canada. Before long, ships at sea began using radio to communicate with other ships and with people on shore. Radio would continue to flourish for years to come. In the 1920s, the first radio stations began playing music, sports, and news.