Rural vs. Urban in the United States
The United States was very much a rural state in the past and it took us a long time to change and become an urban majority than a rural one. The United States began shifting from rural to urban around 1910 through 1920 and surprisingly is still shifting to this day. Rural culture is nothing to be looked down upon but the benefits from urban areas outweigh the rural in many aspects. Without the rise of urbanization we would not be the colony and superpower we are today.
One reason that urbanization was necessary for us to expand was its role-play in better education. Education is the foundation of all past and future nations and it is what makes us strong. In rural areas education was limited and it was very hard to access seeing as there was not much transportation and everything was spread out and far away. In the city when people began the transfer to urbanization they learned that schools and similar places were nearby and they were easy to access. Thus education was higher in urban areas then in rural areas. Also people could share similar ideas more and that led to research teams and new discoveries.
Another reason why urbanization was necessary in the United States was the role of medicine and its practice. Back in the day it was hard to locate a doctor and if they did they were miles and miles away and people would die just trying to get to them in time. Doctors were very scarce and even then they did not have much equipment because they could not afford it. With the rise of urbanization doctors who moved to the city got better job opportunities and got better pay. So then doctors could buy the medicine they needed in bulk and had money for them as well. But also with the population bei...
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...clothes, medical products and the list never ends. Urbanization has helped us grow internally and externally something that a rural nation most likely would not have given us.
So there are a few reasons why urbanization was necessary in the United States and why a rural nation would not have been better suited for this country. Through the use of education, medicine, trade between goods, the knocking down of social barriers, and worldwide recognition urbanization is more favorable to this country and also the rest of the world who we have protected and fought for. Urbanization is an amazing thing although it has its downfalls it will never outweigh the good it brings to this nation and its people and that is why I believe that urbanization was necessary and that a rural nation although could have brought some good could never outweigh the benefits of an urban nation.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, several factors contributed to the growth and expansion of cities in the United States. The 1850s saw a fantastic peak in the immigration of Europeans to America, and they quickly flocked to cities where they could form communities and hopefully find work1. The rushing industrialization of the entire country also helped to rapidly convert America from a primarily agrarian nation to an urban society. The transition, however, was not so smooth. Men and women were attracted to the new cities because of the culture and conveniences that were unavailable to rural communities.
...arate societies by the time of the 1700's. Agriculture, motive, people, religion, and terrain are all factors that affected how they grew apart. However, it is also through the actions of the men and woman who settled in the regions and the choices they made that led to the development of two societies. The Chesapeake region became a society of money-driven, wealthy plantation owners, virtually no middle class workers, and those in extreme poverty. The New England colonies, in contrast, developed into a society of middle class family men who placed extreme emphasis on religion. The two societies in what would become one nation may have had effects on America in the future. The dispute over slavery, the imbalance of workers, and the class differences cause rifts between the two regions over time. Two radically different cultures cannot coincide in harmony forever.
The increased demand for land, combined with this new ability to purchase the land, led to a change in the demographics of settlement. Instead the close protected towns, they began to settle down in individual farms outside of the towns where they could purchase larger parcels of land for less money. This was a catalyst in the transition away from the church governed society and set the foundation for a society run by the
1.Gary Nash suggests that the availability of land and the change of attitudes caused the growth of individualism in eighteenth-century America. Nash puts a large emphasis on land by stating it was viewed as a commodity and as a means of building a fortune. This caused fierce competition and large demand on more land since the availability of unclaimed land was dropping.
The revolution of 1800 introduced the first peaceful transition of power from Adams to Jefferson. Jefferson sought to change the American ideals of the 1800s, as the people accepted and demanded a change through the Electoral College. Once established in office, he reduced the size of the government, purchased the Louisiana territory, and advocated farming in America. It is known as Jeffersonian Democracy, however, the democracy was based off the notion of Agrarianism. Agrarianism can be defined as the social or political philosophy which values a rural society far more than an urban society; it advocates the concept of farmers being superior to paid workers, thus emphasizing the superior simple rural life style opposed to a far more complex
...oods in the market place. The market increased vastly, becoming more efficient with cheaper transportation and economic specialization. Industrialization impacted the meaning of work and changed the ways of time management. Urbanization mainly evolved in the northeastern states, which help the states to become more into urban cities showing and improving on communication and industrialization. Though this was great for the Americans it did affect the Native Americans and African slaves in a negative light. Even though it had ups and downs from different point of views the market revolution changed and improved how our economy is today.
Harvey, Todd, and et al. Gentrification and West Oakland: Causes, Effects, and Best Practices 1999. 22 Nov. 2003.
...Population explosion, agricultural changes, and the increasing demand for more workers led to urbanization, or the migration of people to cities. The enclosure movement played an important role in urbanization because when the rich landowners would take over the farmers' land, the farmers would be kicked off their own land. Some farmers had to leave because they couldn't keep up with the competition from the landowners. These jobless farmers then migrated to the cities because they could get jobs because of the growing demand for workers. New sources of energy, such as the coal-powered steam engine, helped entrepreneurs change the way their work was done and helped power the Industrial Revolution. Also, declining death rates due to the agricultural revolution decreased famines and led to a population explosion. Thus, large numbers of people migrated to cities.
A general situation of urbanization trend in developing countries and developed countries is increasing. In 18th Century only 3% of the world total population lived in urban areas but as projected in 2000 this number will increase at above 50% (UN as cited in Elliot, 1999, p. 144). According to UN (as cited in Elliot, 1999, p.144), it is figured that the total urban population in developing countries has increased from approximately 400 millions people in 1950 to approximately 2000 millions people in 2000. At the same time, total urban population in developed countries is double...
factories instead of at home. With factories being built in the cities, people started to leave the
People would leave their rural hometowns to migrate to the urban capitals, in search of jobs. People living in rural areas might also have difficult living condi...
Imagine having to choose to reside in one place for the rest of your life. Which would you opt for? Some people would argue that the hyperactive lifestyle that a big city has to offer has more benefits than living in the country. However, others would contend that the calm and peaceful environment of the countryside is much more rewarding. Several people move from the city to a farm to get away from the hustle and bustle. Likewise, some farmers have traded in their tractors and animals to live a fast paced city life. Of course, not all large cities are the same nor are all of the places in the country identical. Realizing this, ten years ago, I decided to hang up the city life in Indiana to pursue a more laid back approach to life in rural Tennessee. Certainly, city life and life in the country have their benefits, but they also have distinguishable differences.
...population distribution designed to reduce the rate of rural-urban migration appears to have had limited success in many developing countries. Policies must be directed at altering the rural economy in order to slow the rate of urban sprawl. Broad land use planning and changing of planning standards and governmental procedures would go a long way to reduce many of the problems that face urban populations in the developing areas, especially Africa. Urbanization can cause a lot of problems for a city or even a country. It can cause cities to become overpopulated which are known as mega-cites, and cause problems with living arrangements and finding a job. Urbanization can also cause health problems. Urbanization is supposed to be good for developing countries on the rise but with this rapid growth in Africa, these problems can become a major concern in the future.
One of the significant differences I noticed is the social opportunities that are not feasible in the countryside towns. Many people prefer big city life because of the opportunities they see in the cities. People living in cities find jobs easily because of the corporations and industries. Cities have more competition which sometimes leads to a low cost of living. The other factors that contribute to the low cost of living in the cities are easy transportation, generic job availabilities, and other benefits provided by the government. Because of the low transportation facilities, and less job availabilities, country people experience high cost ...
Industrialization caused population migration from rural areas to urban areas. Cities expanded rapidly to provide homes for workers being employed in the factories. Workers faced harsh conditions everywhere. Living conditions were cramped, unsafe and unclean. Men, women and children labored long hours for minimal wages in dangerous conditions and no job security. The working class was financially and physically unprotected by the government as the middle and upper class grew wealthier and more powerful. (Riane Eisler (2007)).