Dawn of Mass culture

Dawn of Mass culture By: Mike Donelon and Mike Moynihan

American Leisure • A popular slogan that workers had back then was “Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for what we will” • Then things like Amusement Parks, bicycling, tennis, and spectator sports started to become more popular and keep their minds off of having to work tomorrow

Amusement Parks • Amusement Parks were often built by trolley-car companies that wanted to have more passengers • The first roller coaster was built in 1884 at Coney Island • The first ferris wheel was built in 1893 in Chicago

Bicycling and other crazes • The first American bicycles were made by Colonel Albert A. Pope in the 1870s • In 1885 they created the “safety bicycle” in which the bicycle had two of the same sized wheels and they were filled with air. It also had a dropped frame and no crossbar which got women into bicycling • 50,000 men and women bicycled in 1888. Then two years later 312 American firms turned out 10 million bikes.

Spectator Sports • Boxing and Baseball were popular sports back in the late 1800s to the early 1900s • The first great heavyweight boxer was John L. Sullivan and got his title in 1882 • Boxing was fought mainly with bare knuckles • John also offered to anyone that could beat him $10,000 if they survived 4 rounds in the ring with him • The person to finally knock him out was James J. “Gentleman Jim” Corbett in the 21st round.

Baseball • Fifty baseball clubs started to show up in 1850 and New York alone had twelve of them • In 1869, a team named the Cincinnati Red Stockings went around the country to challenge other teams • More than 51,000 fans showed up at the 1887 championship series between St. Louis and Detroit • In the 1890s baseball had a published game schedule, official rules and a standard-sized diamond

Live Performances • There are three things the audience could choose from: serious drama, exciting melodrama, or vaudeville shows • Shakespeare’s tragedies=serious drama • Under the Gaslight=Melodramas • Edwin Milton Royle=Vaudeville • But everyone loved going to the Barnum and Bailey Circus which was founded by P.T. Barnum and Anthony Bailey

Ragtime • Ragtime is a blend of African-American spirituals and European musical forms • Ragtime started in the 1880s • Ragtime was an important step in developing Jazz

Urban Shopping • The nations first shopping center opened in Cleveland, Ohio in 1890 • The growth of cities sparked production of new stores all around the nation and also inns, city housing financial services, hotels and entertainment • Retail shopping centers formed in the middle of cities to make getting to them quicker and easier

The Department Store • Marshall Field of Chicago coined the name Department Store • Field also said the phrase “Give the lady what she wants” • In magazines such as the Chicago Magazine of Fashion advertised directly towards women

The Chain Store • Chain stores are groups of stores under the same ownership • F.W. Woolworth founded the store “Five-and-Dime Store” • Woolworth also founded out that if you put a item at a low price, people will buy it right on the spot • The Five-and-Dime store was so popular that they sold more that a million dollars of merchandise a week

Turn-of-The-Century Advertising • Companies advertised about $10 million a year in 1865 but increased to $95 million by 1900 • Medicines grabbed the largest number of advertising • Then pretty much anything in stores like soaps, food, and toys

Mail-Order Catalogs • These were sent to farmers and residents of small towns • Sears printed catalogs in ten different languages to help produce more sales • By 1910, more than 10 million Americans shopped by mail each year

Rural Free Delivery • In 1896, the United States Post Office boosted mail-order businesses by starting a rural free delivery • In 1913 the initiation of parcel post made it possible to send a 50-pound package from Chicago to any location in the country

Dawn of Mass culture