--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: New York, in the late nineteenth century…" description: "\"“New York, in the late nineteenth century, was also an astonishingly dirty city for a variety of reasons. Only about half of New York’s families had ba..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/stephen-birmingham-33206_quote_new-york-in-the-late-nineteenth-century_685936.jpg" --- # New York, in the late nineteenth century, was also an… ![“New York, in the late nineteenth century, was also an astonishingly dirty city for a variety of reasons. Only about half of New York’s families had bathrooms; the rest were served by outhouses. The Saturday-night bath had become a national ritual, but brushing one’s teeth was unheard of. By 1885…” quote by Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/stephen-birmingham-33206_quote_new-york-in-the-late-nineteenth-century_685936.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/stephen-birmingham-33206_quote_new-york-in-the-late-nineteenth-century_685936.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/stephen-birmingham-33206_quote_new-york-in-the-late-nineteenth-century_685936.jpg) > ““New York, in the late nineteenth century, was also an astonishingly dirty city for a variety of reasons. Only about half of New York’s families had bathrooms; the rest were served by outhouses. The Saturday-night bath had become a national ritual, but brushing one’s teeth was unheard of. By 1885, some 250,000 horses—pulling carts, carriages, trolleys and public omnibuses—jammed New York’s streets.”” [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. New York’s rapid industrial growth created severe sanitation problems, with many families lacking indoor plumbing and streets clogged by horse traffic. **In simple terms:** Dirty city due to lack of bathrooms and many horses. Key Takeaway Improve urban sanitation and transport. Themes urbanization public health industrialization Mood historical analytical Type informative critical When to use this quote - city planning - public health reforms - historical research - environmental policy Key Concepts sanitation infrastructure social inequality Questions to Reflect On - How did lack of plumbing affect daily life? - What policies reduced horse traffic? A Different Perspective Modern cities still face sanitation challenges despite technology. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Nineteenth century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nineteenth-century/) ## Related quotes > [New York is an ugly city, a dirty city. Its climate is a scandal, its politics are used to frighten children, its traffic is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/new-york-is-an-ugly-city-a-dirty-city-its-climate-is-a-scandal-its/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Hell isn’t some fiery pit “down there.” It’s right here on Earth, in every dirty city, every yawning town.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/hell-isn-t-some-fiery-pit-down-there-it-s-right-here-on-earth-in/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [New York is an ugly city, a dirty city... But there is one thing about it. Once you have lived in New York and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-block/new-york-is-an-ugly-city-a-dirty-city-but-there-is-one-thing-about-it/) [Lawrence Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-block/) > [“It started when we were little kids. Free spirits, but already tormented by our own hands given to us by our parents. We got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/it-started-when-we-were-little-kids-free-spirits-but-already/) [Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/) > [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [He banged on the side of the carriage. "Thomas! We must away at once to the nearest brothel. I seek scandal and low companionship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-banged-on-the-side-of-the-carriage-thomas-we-must-away-at-once-to/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [In one of the Welsh counties is a small village called A-----. It is somewhat removed from the high road, and is, therefore, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/in-one-of-the-welsh-counties-is-a-small-village-called-a-it-is/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [A woman of haughty and fierce carriage, of a nimble wit and active spirit, a very voluble tongue, more bold than a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-woman-of-haughty-and-fierce-carriage-of-a-nimble-wit-and-active/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just as the sentence contains one idea in all its fullness, so the paragraph should embrace a distinct episode; and as sentences should follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/just-as-the-sentence-contains-one-idea-in-all-its-fullness-so-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [But we were talking about me and my problems." Sophronia looked Monique up and down gravely. "I don't think we're going to solve those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/but-we-were-talking-about-me-and-my-problems-sophronia-looked-monique/) [Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/) > [A swift carriage, of a dark night, rattling with four horses over roads that one can’t see--that’s my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/a-swift-carriage-of-a-dark-night-rattling-with-four-horses-over-roads/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sojourner-truth/that-man-over-there-says-that-women-need-to-be-helped-into-carriages/) [Sojourner Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sojourner-truth/) > [On the day long after childhood when I suddenly heard of his death, the sky grew dark above my head. I was walking on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-elizabeth-sangster/on-the-day-long-after-childhood-when-i-suddenly-heard-of-his-death/) [Margaret Elizabeth Sangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-elizabeth-sangster/) > [Are you implying that shreds of my reputation remain intact?" Will demanded with mock horror. "Clearly I have been doing something wrong. Or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/are-you-implying-that-shreds-of-my-reputation-remain-intact-will/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) ## More by Stephen Birmingham > [“New York horses were driven until they expired, and as many as a hundred horses collapsed daily in the streets. It was often a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/new-york-horses-were-driven-until-they-expired-and-as-many-as-a/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“also introduced another controversial feature—an elevator, described as a “perpendicular railway intersecting each story.” Theretofore, elevators had been installed only in a few of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/also-introduced-another-controversial-feature-an-elevator-described/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [What is known as success assumes nearly as many aliases as there are those who seek it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/what-is-known-as-success-assumes-nearly-as-many-aliases-as-there-are/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“How New York has fallen off during the last forty years! Its intellect and culture have been diluted and swamped by a great flood-tide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/how-new-york-has-fallen-off-during-the-last-forty-years-its-intellect/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“Isabella Boyer Singer, the wife with whom Singer had spent most of his final years, in her claim to be the legal widow. Isabella…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/isabella-boyer-singer-the-wife-with-whom-singer-had-spent-most-of-his/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“seventeen rooms with six bathrooms and eight working fireplaces for $650. In 1884 these Dakota rents had seemed substantial. But the astonishing thing was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/seventeen-rooms-with-six-bathrooms-and-eight-working-fireplaces-for/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“Sophisticated New Yorkers complained that their city had none of the exuberance and spectacle of Paris—no Place de l’Étoile, no Place de la Concorde,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/sophisticated-new-yorkers-complained-that-their-city-had-none-of-the/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“when America entered the era of the automobile, there was a noticeable tendency for the affluent of American cities to build their homes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/when-america-entered-the-era-of-the-automobile-there-was-a-noticeable/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“In the summer the whole family would take the night boat to Albany. You left in the evening and arrived in the morning. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/in-the-summer-the-whole-family-would-take-the-night-boat-to-albany/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [A great many people go after success simply for the shiny prizes it brings...And nowhere is it pursued more ardently than in the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/a-great-many-people-go-after-success-simply-for-the-shiny-prizes-it/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“Anything of even mildly antiquarian or historic interest was the target of destruction, and anyone who deplored the way the city was remaking itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/anything-of-even-mildly-antiquarian-or-historic-interest-was-the/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [What is known as success assumes nearly as many aliases as there are those who seek it. Like love, it can come to commoners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/what-is-known-as-success-assumes-nearly-as-many-aliases-as-there-are-2/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“The public could be made to want anything, if it were sold to them the right way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/the-public-could-be-made-to-want-anything-if-it-were-sold-to-them-the/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) > [“During the summers the building was empty,” she reminisced. “Everybody went away, to Long Island, or Westchester, or the Adirondacks, or the Jersey Shore.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-birmingham/during-the-summers-the-building-was-empty-she-reminisced-everybody/) [Stephen Birmingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) [Explore all 15 Stephen Birmingham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-birmingham/) ## More Carriages quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Are you implying that shreds of my reputation remain intact?" Will demanded with mock horror. "Clearly I have been doing something wrong. Or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/are-you-implying-that-shreds-of-my-reputation-remain-intact-will/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [On the day long after childhood when I suddenly heard of his death, the sky grew dark above my head. I was walking on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-elizabeth-sangster/on-the-day-long-after-childhood-when-i-suddenly-heard-of-his-death/) [Margaret Elizabeth Sangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-elizabeth-sangster/) > [That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sojourner-truth/that-man-over-there-says-that-women-need-to-be-helped-into-carriages/) [Sojourner Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sojourner-truth/) > [A swift carriage, of a dark night, rattling with four horses over roads that one can’t see--that’s my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/a-swift-carriage-of-a-dark-night-rattling-with-four-horses-over-roads/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [But we were talking about me and my problems." Sophronia looked Monique up and down gravely. "I don't think we're going to solve those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/but-we-were-talking-about-me-and-my-problems-sophronia-looked-monique/) [Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/) > [Just as the sentence contains one idea in all its fullness, so the paragraph should embrace a distinct episode; and as sentences should follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/just-as-the-sentence-contains-one-idea-in-all-its-fullness-so-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [A woman of haughty and fierce carriage, of a nimble wit and active spirit, a very voluble tongue, more bold than a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-woman-of-haughty-and-fierce-carriage-of-a-nimble-wit-and-active/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In one of the Welsh counties is a small village called A-----. It is somewhat removed from the high road, and is, therefore, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/in-one-of-the-welsh-counties-is-a-small-village-called-a-it-is/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [He banged on the side of the carriage. "Thomas! We must away at once to the nearest brothel. I seek scandal and low companionship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-banged-on-the-side-of-the-carriage-thomas-we-must-away-at-once-to/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Ma'am," Magnus said, advancing. "I must counsel you not to exit the carriage while a demon-slaying is in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/ma-am-magnus-said-advancing-i-must-counsel-you-not-to-exit-the/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The separate parts make no carriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-separate-parts-make-no-carriage/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Pot came first when I was young. But I did the work. It wasn't a battle of what came first. They went together like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/pot-came-first-when-i-was-young-but-i-did-the-work-it-wasn-t-a-battle/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [As the Dauphine stepped out of her carriage on to the ceremonial carpet that had been laid down, it was the Duc de Choiseul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-fraser/as-the-dauphine-stepped-out-of-her-carriage-on-to-the-ceremonial/) [Antonia Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-fraser/) Browse all 175 Carriages quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“New York, in the late nineteenth century, was also an astonishingly dirty city for a variety of reasons. Only about half of New York’s families had bathrooms; the rest were served by outhouses. The Saturday-night bath had become a national ritual, but brushing one’s teeth was unheard of. 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