The Pittsburgh Survey facts for kids
The Pittsburgh Survey was a big study done in 1907 and 1908. It looked closely at the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This study was one of the first of its kind to examine how people lived in a big city. It was paid for by the Russell Sage Foundation from New York City. Many people think it was a very important part of the Progressive Era, a time when many people wanted to make society better.
The Survey was one of the first and most detailed looks at city life in the United States. About 70 people worked on it, starting in 1907. These workers included Elizabeth Beardsley Butler, Margaret Byington, John R. Commons, Edward T. Devine, Crystal Eastman, John A. Fitch, and photographer Lewis Hine. Artist Joseph Stella also helped. Their findings were first shared in magazines like Collier's in 1908 and 1909. Later, the research was made into six books published between 1909 and 1914.
Pittsburgh: A City of Industry
In the early 1900s, Pittsburgh was a major industrial city in America. Many immigrants came from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. They hoped to find jobs and escape poverty. Large companies, like U.S. Steel, had a lot of power in the local government. Life for most people in Pittsburgh was often difficult and filled with smoke from factories.
Why Study Pittsburgh?
People who wanted to improve society, called Progressives, were worried. They saw how hard life was for working-class people and immigrants. They also worried about big businesses and how industrialization was changing cities. The Pittsburgh Survey aimed to understand these problems better.
Goals of the Pittsburgh Survey
Paul Kellogg led the Survey. He wanted to combine the goal of making things better with new ways of scientific study. He hoped the results would show people the social and environmental problems in industrial America. He also wanted to influence leaders in companies and the government. His goal was to make positive changes in Pittsburgh and across the country.
