American leisure activities became more popular and accessible in the late 19th century, with the rise of amusement parks, bicycling, tennis, and spectator sports like baseball and boxing. Newspapers used techniques like sensational headlines and comics to reach a wider audience, while art galleries and fiction works grew more common with rising literacy. Stores innovated new ways of marketing and selling goods to consumers, such as department stores, chain stores, catalogs, and increased advertising spending.

1. Ch.8 Sec. 4 The Dawn of Mass Culture

2. American Leisure Amusement parks- grassy park areas with playgrounds etc. Bicycling and tennis became popular Spectator sports (boxing and baseball) became popular Baseball became a professional sport

3. Spread of mass culture Mass circulation of newspapers- newspapers began to use new techniques to catch people’s interest such as sensational headlines, comics, women’s news etc. Promoting fine arts- at least one art gallery in every major city by 1900 Popular Fiction became very popular as literacy rates rose in the US Mark Twain

4. New ways to sell goods Urban Shopping- earliest form of a shopping center opened in Cleveland, OH in 1890 Retail districts formed where public transportation could reach them First Department Store created by Marshall Field in Chicago Chain stores came into being EX: Woolworths Advertising spending increased by millions of dollars Stores began sending out catalogs, like Montgomery Ward and Sears.