B2119th

Theme: The role of urbanization in transforming cultural values and social relationships Implementing the advance accomplished in America, Europe began to use electric streetcars in the 1890’s. Electric streetcars were cheaper, faster, more reliable, and more comfortable compared to the previously used horse-drawn cars. They transformed cultural values greatly, making life much more convenient for the laypeople. On weekends and holidays, streetcars carried millions of ordinary people on casual outings to parks, the countryside, racetracks, and music halls. With the expansion of electric streetcars, railway companies such as the Detroit Municipal Railway also expanded. Social relationships also benefited with the middle-class having access to much better housing. Electric streetcars also permitted the people of the crowded cities of England to move about freely. McKay, John P. __A History of Western society__. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003."The Streetcar Companies Versus the Mayor." __Detroit Transit History__. 13 Apr. 2009 .
 * Electric Streetcar- 1890's**