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American History 20th Century Life at the turn of the 20th century changed in a variety of ways, especially when one considers the ramifications of those changes in urban environments. Developments in the creation of public spaces, mass transportation, and technology helped to distinguish this era from the declining decades of the 19th century. These differences and similarities are best seen when one examines their effect on the wealthy, middle and working classes of people. Overall, it becomes apparent that the consequences of these developments in different areas of life in urban environments helped to create the basis for modernity or modern living.

In many ways, one of the most noticeable aspects of modernity that was created in cities at the turn of the 20th century pertained to mass transportation. The railway system was largely perfected in the 19th century, and helped to bridge the eastern and western portion of the United States. At the turn of the 20th century, developments in mass transportation then...

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For the most part, such mass transportation helped to provide a common ground for all three of the aforementioned classes of people. Buses (referred to initially as omnibuses) (1) helped to provide a common way of transportation for all people, as did the railway system. Regardless of a person's class, if he or she desired to travel from Manhattan to upstate, he or she could simply purchase a ticket on a train (2). These forms of public transportation helped to provide the basis for modernity in cities because buses and trains still constitute the principle means of public transportation in contemporary society.
The creation of public spaces had a similarly equitable effect on the different classes of people to inhabit an urban environment, and helped to pave the way for modern usages and conceptions of public spaces as well. Whereas there were some parts of cities that were reserved for residences and which were largely stratified according to whether or not someone was…

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Bibliography

Tarr, Joel. 1971. "Urban Pollution -- Many Long Years Ago." American Heritage. 22 (6).

Wharton, Edith. 1905. The House of Mirth. New York: Barnes and Noble Classic.

End Notes

1. Wharton, Edith, The House of Mirth (New York: Barnes and Noble Classic), 57
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