18 photos that show what the world looked like for Americans 150 years ago

Frank OlitoMay 19, 2020, 03:15 IST

America looked very different in 1870.Lass / Getty

In 1870, America was in the middle of great change as the Second Industrial Revolution was just starting, and millions of immigrants were heading for the US.
At the time, fashion was more formal, and people loved traveling by carriage, steamboat, or railway.
Americans were also shopping via catalogs 150 years ago.
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Today, cell phones, computers, and other forms of technology are so prevalent that we often forget how far we have come.

Life wasn't always this technology-focused. In fact, 150 years ago, America was in the middle of great change. Around 1870, the Second Industrial Revolution was underway, just as immigrants started flooding the country.

Take a look back in history to see what life was like 150 years ago.

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For African Americans, this period was a time for new-found — albeit limited — freedom.

A Native American man and an African American man in 1870. Buyenlarge / Getty

Around the same time, the US held the first Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby in the late 1800s. Library of Congress

Tennis was also a popular sport 150 years ago.

Tennis players in 1870. Fairfax Media Archives / Getty

New leisure activities, like bicycling, were becoming popular.

1874. Science & Society Picture Library / Getty

As for shopping, many people bought clothing and goods from a catalog called Montgomery Ward.

Montgomery Ward. Chicago History Museum / Getty

During this time, women canned and baked less. Instead, they started buying commercially prepared items to eat.

A "five and dime" store. Bettmann / Getty

The railroad also gave people access to different types of food.

A train 1870. Science & Society Picture Library / Getty

Although railroads were growing in popularity throughout the 1800s, 1870 marked the beginning of a boom within the industry.

Train in 1870. Sepia Times / Getty

The steamboat was another popular mode of transport during this time.

Steamboats. Bettmann / Getty

When getting around, horse and buggy were extremely popular 150 years ago.

Horse and buggy. Photo 12 / Getty

Unlike today, the menswear of 150 years ago was much more formal.

Men in 1870. Hulton Archive / Getty

Women's fashion was dramatic and elegant, with details focused on the back.

Womenswear from 1870. Popperfoto / Getty

When not in school, children played with dolls that they made themselves.

A girl with a doll. Imagno / Getty

Children spent most of their time in one-room schoolhouses.

A schoolhouse of children. Underwood Archives / Getty

The demographics of the country was changing, too, as thousands of people immigrated from Europe to the US.

Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. Bettmann / Getty

At the same time, people were moving west as train lines expanded.

A family out west. Hulton Archive / Getty

As more people moved into the cities, daily life became gruesome for some.

A tenement in 1888. Bettmann / Getty

In the 1870s, families were experiencing significant changes as the Second Industrial Revolution moved people from farmland to cities.

A family in 1870. Time Life Pictures / Getty

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