ABSTRACT

During the half-century from the end of the Civil War until American entry into World War I, American cities—including San Francisco—grew at an almost dizzying pace, becoming places of excitement, danger, and disgust to many Americans, who marveled at urban energy and bustle but feared both the corrupting influences that seemed to thrive in cities and the growing gap between urban rich and poor. In 1870, no American city had a million people, and only seven had more than 250,000; San Francisco counted fewer than 150,000 but nonetheless stood tenth in size among the cities of the nation. By 1920, three cities topped the million mark and twenty-five claimed more than 250,000 people. San Francisco had more than tripled in size since 1870, to more than 500,000 people, but fell to twelfth rank among the nation’s largest cities.