What were the living conditions and the diseases in the 19th century in the United States?

The United States experienced a growth in its population in the 1800s. People came from North and West Europe in large numbers between 1820 and 1860. Many people came from South and East Europe in the late 1800s. The growth of our population presented some challenges.

Many of the immigrants ended up settling in the cities. Because many of the immigrants came to hopefully find a better life for themselves economically, they didn’t have a lot of money. As a result, these immigrants lived in overcrowded apartments called tenements. The living conditions were poor due to the overcrowding. This led to various problems including disease, pollution, and crime.

Two very deadly diseases found in the United States during this time were cholera and yellow fever. Both of these diseases appear to be connected with the overcrowding in the cities and the transportation of people from one continent to another. There is also some thought that the increased trade that occurred as ships traveled from one continent to another played a role in the spread of these diseases.

Poor living conditions and fighting the spread of diseases were a constant battle for many Americans, especially those who lived in the overcrowded cities in the 1800s.