Who is jacob riis and what did he do

Upon his arrival in New York City, Riis struggled his way through various jobs — ironworker, farmer, bricklayer, salesman — all jobs that gave him an up-close look at the less prosperous side of the American urban environment. His beat was the Lower East Side, a neighborhood riddled with crime and poverty.

Riis was moved by what he saw in the neighborhood, and he taught himself basic photography and started taking a camera with him when he hit the streets at night. In a stroke of good timing, flash photography had only recently been invented, and Riis became a pioneer in its use, employing the new technique to capture stark indoor and outdoor night scenes. How the Other Half Lives was an instant success and had an immediate impact. Now a legend for his work toward social reform, and for his use of photography to bring previously hidden worlds to light, Riis went on to write many other books, among them, The Battle With the Slum , Children of the Tenements , and the autobiography, The Making of an American However, thanks to a stray dog, Riis persisted Pascal, His investigations led him to some stunning discoveries, including the horrible living conditions of New York tenements.

He found that some tenement conditions were so abysmal that the infant death rate was 1 in How the Other Half Lives made Riis famous and inspired legislation impacting tenement houses. This work may also be read through the Internet Archive. Join our mailing list. ICP Updates. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at digitalcontent icp.

We will treat your information with respect. For more information, read our Privacy Policy. By clicking Submit, you agree that we may send you communications in accordance with these terms. Submit Cancel. He closed the more dangerous tenements.

He also pushed for laws to improve immigrant communities. Riis died on May 26, He pushed the country toward progressive social and economic reforms. He is alongside giants: George…. In the years leading up to the Civil War, Frederick Douglass February —February 20, was the most powerful speaker and writer of the abolitionist movement.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. He was raised by…. Fannie Lou Hamer October 6, —March 14, was a civil rights activist. She fought to expand voting rights for African Americans. African Americans in the…. Martin Luther King Jr. His leadership helped end segregation during the civil rights movement.

When Martin Luther King Jr. By doing so, she became the first African-American student to attend an all-white elementary school in the Southern United States.