What caused urbanization during this period?

• A. Deindustrialization and job loss
• B. Industrialization and job opportunities
• C. Decrease in immigration
• D. Improvements in farming methods

Answer: (B)

Industrialization creates real, visible opportunities for work. When factories and new industries begin operating, they hire large numbers of workers and offer wages that aren’t available in rural farming communities. That pull of steady pay and the chance to be part of growing urban economies draws people from the countryside into cities, and as more people move, cities expand and develop even more housing, services, and institutions to support the population. So the spread of factory jobs and the concentration of industry in urban areas drive urbanization.

While farming improvements can push some workers to leave agriculture, the defining factor during this period is the emergence of industrial jobs in cities, which pulls people toward urban centers.