AP Euro Essay

Mrs.
Solomon Celine Nehme

AP Euro-Period 5 3/18/11
AP European History Essay
Describe the physical transformation of European cities in the second half of the nineteenth
century and analyze the social consequences of the transformation.
In the second half of the nineteenth century Europe was introduced to a time of material
abundance that brought along new industries, new sources of energy, and new goods to trade
with. This time period, called the second Industrial Revolution transformed Europe both
physically and socially. This new industrial world led to scientific and technological
improvements and social benefits to the lower classes. In the late 1800’s European cities
physically transformed while also improving the standard of living with advanced infrastructure,
better living conditions and new technology; this led to a growing middle class and a mass
society with new ideas that would become regular features of the twentieth century.
In the Second Industrial Revolution steel, chemicals, electricity, and petroleum were the
materialistic products that changed Europe. The change of iron to steel made it easier to
construct machines and engines to be lighter, smaller, and faster and also aided the creation of
railways, ships, and armaments. The discovery of these items was the reason why Europe
urbanized so rapidly. The demand for jobs in urban factories with products such as steel led to
overpopulation in Europe and the creation of larger factories. Europe was not capable to deal
with such masses and overpopulation revealed the lack of public transportation and good
infrastructure. Napoleon was not blind to the overpopulation and hired Baron Georges
Haussmann to rebuild Paris through government actions. Haussmann built new wider
boulevards, new sewers, and introduced the system of aqueducts. He also created parks and
razed slums, these new ideas were models for the rest of Europe. During this time period mass
transit became more popular allowing people to travel faster and easier, and housing improved
which led to less overcrowding. This new infrastructure improved general health and decreased
the death rate. Electricity was introduced during this time period and it was of great value
because it easily converted into other forms of energy such as heat and light. Electricity
eventually led to entire European cities being connected to one common source of electricity and
to new inventions such as the light bulb and the telephone. New technology allowed for an
abundance of grain and lower transportation cost which agriculture to decrease. The Second
Industrial Revolution led to many scientific and technological achievements that affected
urbanization in cities much more than it affected country life, as farmers were still very secular
and people who live in cities were more opened to new ideas because it benefitted them more.
Urbanization greatly affected the social classes by increasing the size of the middle class;
there was now an upper class, an upper middle class, a middle middle class, a lower middle by
class, and the lower class. New industries led to new jobs that were split up by different skills,
the social class you were in determined the skill you were good at therefore leading to the job
you worked in. In the late nineteenth century the middle class tried to improve their working
conditions by forming trade unions based on political ideas. The growth of heavy industry meant
less jobs for women in manufacturing but the creation of white collar jobs or jobs like secretaries
and clerks allowed new job opportunities for women. Women did not receive as high of an
education as men so they were paid less but they were slowly gaining a little bit of independence,
although higher class women did not work. Society was becoming increasingly secular based on
the belief of progress, although they were still religious. Urbanization changed the general
interests of the public and led to parents treating children better, adults no longer believed that
children should be seen and not heard. The emergence of a mass society led to mass education
and mass leisure, the idea of a weekend were formed and novelties such as amusement parks and
dance halls appeared. Mass education led to a universal elementary education and there was an
increase in literacy which caused mass circulation of newspapers which led more of society to
know what was going on politically. The urbanization of society also led to the development of
social sciences. Secular ideas of the Scientific Revolution were applied to the science of society.
Charles Darwin theory of evolution was applied to society as Social Darwinism, the belief that
there is a struggle of existence and the better, more capable man wins and is more successful. All
the new technology available to society during the Second Industrial Revolution changed social
classes by increasing the working middle class which led to governments trying to appeal to
them in ways like education and leisure.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, new materials led to urbanization in
Europe, because of this, cities physically transformed to allow for the overwhelming amounts of
newcomers to live which led to an increasing middle class. The increasing middle class had more
power as the government tried to appeal them by giving them a right to vote, a higher standard of
living and higher education. The emergence of a mass society led to reforms and ideas that built
the formation for centuries ahead.

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Mrs.

Solomon Celine Nehme

them in ways like education and leisure.

the formation for centuries ahead.

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