New York Subway

In the 1900s the second largest city in the world, with a population of over 3,000,000, was
New York City. Most of the people that lived in New York City lived in Manhattan (the lower east side). Because of the huge population in Manhattan, it was nearly impossible to get around. It took hours just to get from Wall Street to Harlem. Many people wanted to move out of Manhattan, but it wasn't practical to do so, considering that much of the rest of New York was undeveloped.

In March 1900, ground was broken in Manhattan for an electric powered subway. It took 12,000 workers to build the subway. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the one responsible for building this subway. They cut a trench to accommodate a 55-foot wide and 15-foot high tunnel. The rails were laid and stations built, the finished work was enclosed in steel beams, and a shallow layer of fill and paving was placed over the trench.

The development of the subway caused New York to flourish in many ways. It allowed people to be able to live in a completely different area than where they worked. It made travel much easier. When subways were built, houses, neighborhoods, and shops were built around them. Because transportation became much easier with the invention of subways, the bulk of the population of New york spread beyond Manhattan.

The subway opened on October 27, 1904. On that day 150,000 people paid a nickel to ride the subway. New Yorkers loved the subway because it was quick, but also because it was clean; it didn't produce smoke or cinders. It was the fastest city transportation system in the world. Its four-track design enabled both express and local trains to run in each direction.

In conclusion, the subway was vital to the development of New York. It allowed people to get from place to place much quicker. It also expanded job opportunities for people to places other than the city that they lived in. The subway was revolutionary for New Yorkers.

America’s Participation in the Spanish-American War

The Spanish–American War took place between April and August 1898. It was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States. It was fought over the issue of the liberation of Cuba. The war began after America demanded for resolution of the Cuban fight for independence and it was rejected by Spain.

“The revolution in Havana prompted the United States to send in the warship USS Maine to indicate high national interest. Tension among the American people was raised because of the explosion of the USS Maine, and the yellow journalist newspapers that accused the Spanish of oppression in their colonies, agitating American public opinion. The war ended after victories for the United States in the Philippine Islands and Cuba.”

On December 10, 1898, the signing of the Treaty of Paris gave the United States control of Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. This treaty began a new long standing relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico. Another long- term effect of the Treaty of Paris was that many Puerto Ricans immigrated to the US, especially New York City.


On August 7 1898, the American forces began to leave Cuba. The biggest problem now was yellow fever. This disease had quickly spread among the American occupation force,which resulted in it becoming extremely damaged. A group of officers of the American army chose Theodore Roosevelt to draft a request to Washington telling it to withdraw the Army.

The evacuation, however, was not complete. The Army kept the black Ninth Infantry Regiment in Cuba to support the occupation. The logic behind this was their race and the fact that many black volunteers came from southern states would protect them. This led to these soldiers being nicknamed “Immunes”. Still, by the time the Ninth left, 73 of the 984 soldiers had become infected with the disease.

The war marked the beginning of America being involved in world affairs. Ever since, the United States has had a significant part in conflicts around the world, and entered into many treaties and agreements. The United States then entered a lengthy and prosperous period of economic and population growth. This period also consisted of technological innovation that lasted through the 1920s.

Theodore Roosevelt

The life of Theodore Roosevelt was a very interesting one. Despite the many health problems that hinder Roosevelt, he fought to prosper and have a successful life. His story is great because it shows how he persevered through a rough childhood, and became the President of the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt was born to a wealthy family on October 27, 1858 in New York City. As a child, Roosevelt had asthma and was very sick quite often. even though Roosevelt was sick constantly, he never let negativity bring him down. He was determined to be a physically strong individual. in order to gain strength, he took up gymnastics and weight training. He then made exercise a part of his daily routine. He took part in many different activities, such as horseback riding, swimming, and hiking.

In 1884, Roosevelt experienced an extreme hardship. Just two days after his wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt, gave birth to a baby girl, Roosevelt's mother died due to kidney failure. On the same day, just a few hours after his mother passed away, his wife did as well. Both his mother and wife died on the same day ad in the same house. He felt like he just had to get away, so he left his daughter with his sister. He went to the Dakota Badlands. Here he bought a few ranches and stayed there just to escape politics for a while.

In 1866, Roosevelt goes back to New York, remarries, and gets right back into politics. He was appointed as a member of the Civil Service Commission of which he later became president. In 1897 he joined the administration of President McKinley as the secretary of the Navy. He began to prepare for the Cuban War, which broke out in 1898. During the war, he went to Cuba as a lieutenant colonel of a regiment of volunteer cavalry. Roosevelt was also elected as governor of New York.

He served as vice president for less than a year and became president after the assassination of President McKinley on September 14, 1901. This is how he became president. His life leading up to his presidency was hard but he fought through it. His health didn’t stop him from becoming what he wanted to become.