The Growth of Cities in the 19th Century

The Growth of Cities in the 19th Century
Caroline Harrison: First Ladies' Lives

Skill: High School/College
Time Required: Two to three class periods


Standards Compliance
NCSS Strand 3
People, Places, and Environments
NCSS Strand 5
Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
NCTE Standard 1
Students read fiction, nonfiction, classic, and contemporary works to acquire information for various purposes.
NCTE Standard 5
Students use a wide range of strategies and elements to write to communicate with different audiences and for purposes.
NCTE Standard 6
Students apply knowledge of language structure, convention, and media techniques to create, critique, and discuss texts.
NCTE Standard 7
Students conduct research by generating ideas, questions, and problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data.
ISTE Standard 3
Technology productivity tools
ISTE Standard 4
Technology communications tools
ISTE Standard 5
Technology research tools

Introduction:

Caroline Harrison, Dolley Madison, and Mary Todd Lincoln (and all the First Ladies of the 19th Century, for that matter!) were part of a major progression in the United States moving from a rural society based on agriculture to an urban society based on manufacturing, which caused many of the cities to “boom!”

Objectives:

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to how and why the cities of the United States grew during the 19th century.  Students will become familiar with the larger cities for each time period.

Materials Required:

Computer Internet access Class visual such as chalkboard or dry erase board.

Procedures:

1.  Ask students if they know the current largest cities and make a list.  Then ask what the largest cities were in the United States during the 19th century and make a list on the board.

2.  Divide the class into 3 groups.

3.  Using census data, each group will research one of the three time periods listed below: 
   Early 19th Century 1790-1820
   Mid- 19th Century 1830-1860
   Late 19th Century  1870-1900

4.  Each group will choose the 25 largest cities during the time period.

5.  The students in each group will choose 5 of the 25 to research more in-depth to explain how and why those particular cities grew.

6.  Students in each group will create a database of their 25 cities (using MS Excel or Access) and write a report about the 5 cities they researched, taking into account the following questions:

  • Why do cities grow?
  • Why do the healthiest cities seems to be constantly changing?
  • What does geography have to do with the growth of cities?
  • How does the census help us understand the growth of cities?

Extending the Lesson:

  • Students research the first lady during each time period and explain how the growth affected them.
  • Students could build a model of the largest city from maps and pictures.

Sources & Resources:

Websites:

Credits:

This lesson was developed by Dr. Averil McClelland and adapted by Marian Maxfield, Kent State University.

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