Читать книгу Police in America - Steven G. Brandl - Страница 52

With the creation of various technologies, such as electricity, the steam engine, steel, industrial equipment, and the assembly line, the focus of the economy began to move from the land more toward the production of goods. Factories were built. America was experiencing massive immigration, and these newcomers wanted jobs. Many of the jobs were in the new factories, and people tended to settle in close proximity to where they worked. As a result, new cities formed and already existing ones got much larger. For example, in 1820 Boston had a population of approximately 40,000. By 1870 it had a population of about 250,000.

Cities created a slew of new job opportunities, but they also created problems, particularly with regard to ethnic conflict, housing, sanitation, and health and medical care. Extraordinary wealth was created during this period—at least for some. Others, especially those who were unable to work, lived in poverty. Crime became a major concern, specifically among the wealthy. There were riots in many American cities, most of which were related to poor living standards, poverty, and ethnic conflict. The watch was simply no longer capable of providing the security that citizens demanded.