1898: The Birth of the American Century,.
In 1898: The Birth of the American Century, author David Traxel tells what made the year 1898 so significant in American history. He largely focuses on social aspects and conflicts, and how these affect what historically happened in the United States, and around the world. Traxel gives life to issues in the nation, that ultimately encompass the world, bringing them down to a personal level with the figures involved. Beginning with the country in isolationism, he tells of how the United States became a world presence in just one year.
Traxel effectively starts his story with the New Year's Eve celebration of 1898 in New York City. He describes the lights, and how even though it is raining, the streets are filled with people. Carrying umbrellas, they are filtering in and out of different buildings for festivities for the holiday. Beginning at the new year, both Brooklyn and Manhattan would become part of New York City. However, even though this issue had been voted by referendum, the governing leaders were opposed to this. They though that the "old New York" tradition would be lost. But even though Brooklyn wasn't, Manhattan was celebrating the new year anyway. When midnight and 1898 came, there was even more celebration than before.
The United States still had frontier lands, although the 1890 census had declared that there was no longer a "frontier line" in the nation. People had been moving west all the way to the California coast, and others were settling along the way. In the east, there were large cities, such as New York. In these cities became the place where immigrants would go to live, for the work available. There were factories, and although the pay was low and the conditions were dangerous, it was an income for them, as many were unskilled. Another group that traveled to live in the cities were blacks, looking for a better way of life, and for work, instead of working on a farm.
