America the Story of Us: Cities

The segment opens by celebrating the rise of America's modern vertical city, known for its skyward architecture and seen as a symbol of freedom and ambition. The narrative focuses on New York City in 1885, faced with the task of reassembling the Statue of Liberty, gifted by France as a symbol of freedom. Joseph Pulitzer, a newspaper magnate, launches a successful fundraising campaign to keep the statue in New York. Highlighting the enormous public effort, the story denotes the Statue of Liberty's significance as a national symbol, exemplifying American values and dreams.

The narrative continues with the construction details of the Statue of Liberty. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, the statue's assembly involved complex construction tasks, including the attachment of hand-sculpted copper sheets using more than 300,000 rivets. Despite the dangers involved in construction, the project was completed successfully without fatalities, and the statue's visage, modeled after the sculptor's mother, was positioned. Over 25 years, the statue oxidizes to its green hue and becomes a symbol of liberty, immigration, and the welcoming spirit of America.

The story transitions to the wave of immigration through Ellis Island, where millions see the Statue of Liberty as a sign of hope. It emphasizes America's diverse roots, noting that 95% of the population stems from foreign ancestry. Immigrants sought new beginnings, and guides encouraged them to pursue personal goals, contributing to America's cities and economic growth. This period marks a demographic transformation, with diverse nationalities settling across the U.S., foreshadowing urban expansion and America's future as a melting pot.

Attention shifts to the steel industry and its critical role in constructing America's skyscrapers, thanks to Andrew Carnegie. He discovered an efficient steel production process in England, returned to build America's largest steel plant, risking his fortune. Despite an economic slump, Carnegie's steel factories revolutionized the production capability, drastically reducing costs and enabling urban architectural developments, which transformed American cities into modern metropolises.

The vertical expansion of American cities in the early 20th century relied on steel and daredevil construction workers known as 'roughnecks.' Their perilous job of erecting skyscrapers without safety gear highlighted the era's risk and bravery. The Flatiron Building is cited as a pioneering architectural feat, supported by a steel frame, and debunked public fears about skyscrapers' stability. The simultaneous invention of safe elevators catalyzed urban density, signaling a new epoch of city life and construction technology.

During this era, urban crime and the challenges of rapid growth were countered by technological progress, such as crime photography and mugshots, introduced by Detective Thomas Burns. His methods advanced police work nationally by creating the first criminal records and ethical standards. Jacob Riis also brought awareness to urban poverty through novel photography techniques, demonstrating the squalid conditions in tenements, leading to significant social reforms. This marked a shift towards addressing urban living standards.

Efforts to improve urban living continued with Georges Waring's sanitation and cleanliness reforms, which drastically reduced diseases spread by city filth. His innovative waste recycling methods helped decrease death rates, and his 'white ducks' team revolutionized urban sanitation. Allied with his work, the expansion of sewer systems across America indicated a national movement towards public health improvement and hygiene, which notably affected the quality of life in burgeoning cities nationwide.