Question

Why did trolleys begin to divide cities by class at the end of the 19th century

Answer 1

Electric trolleys and advancements in transportation allowed for the development of streetcar suburbs, segregating cities by class and facilitating suburbanization. This created socio-economic divisions as the middle-class moved to suburbs with better amenities while urban centers remained crowded and less serviced.

Step-by-step explanation:

The trolleys began to divide cities by class at the end of the 19th century due to the development of transportation that allowed for greater mobility. With the invention of the electric trolley by Frank Sprague in 1887, people could live farther from their work as long as they were close to a trolley line. This led to the creation of streetcar suburbs, where middle-class families could reside away from the crowded city centers. These suburbs were often segregated by ethnicity and race, creating a clear division in urban living conditions.

As transportation continued to evolve, with the introduction of elevated trains and subways, the segregation between the classes became more pronounced. This infrastructure facilitated the creation of districts specialized for manufacturing, finance, shopping, and even vice. Those with the means could purchase homes in the suburbs, enjoying advantages such as parks, plumbing, and electricity—luxuries not available to the majority of urban dwellers living in cramped tenements.

The trend of suburbanization continued into the 20th century with the advent of the automobile, which allowed people to live even further from the city core, exacerbating urban decentralization. Thus, the advancements in transportation technology and infrastructure were directly linked to the deepening of socio-economic divisions within cities, shaping living patterns for decades to come.

Answer 2

With the advent of the trolleys, the city dwellers could move from one place to another and develop buildings, suburbs and commute to work and earn their livelihood.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the nineteenth century, there were a number of innovations and inventions that led to the development of the country. One of such innovations was the advent of the trolleys. With this there was easy commuting of the people from one place to another. They could easily commute to work, they could easily use public transportation build suburbs and live outside cities.

But this led to the division of the people in different classes. Because the people who did not have access to the trolleys could not move from one place to another and was not easy for them to earn their livelihood. Therefore it left some sections of the society as marginalized and the other sections could grow and develop.