Life in the U.S. in 1900

• Maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 miles per hour.
• The population of Las Vegas was 30.
• The average wage was 22 cents an hour.
• A good accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 - $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer $5,000.
• More than 95% of all births took place in the home.
• 90% of all physicians had no college education but instead, had attended medical schools, many of which were condemned by the government and the press as "substandard."
• 14% of American homes had a bathtub.
• 8% of American homes had a telephone.
• Sugar cost 4 cents per pound, eggs 14 cents per dozen, and coffee 15 cents per pound.
• Most women washed their hair once a month with borax or egg yokes as shampoo.
• Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over-the-counter at corner drugstores.
• 18% of all households had at least one full-time servant or domestic helper.

Life in U.S. Compared: 1900 and 2000

• 1900 - Total US population in 45 states = 75,994,575
  • 2000 - Total US population in 50 states = 281,421,906
• 1900 - Average life expectancy women = 47.3 years; 46.3 for men
  • 2000 - Average life expectancy women = 79.67 years; 72.5 for men
• 1900 - The 6 leading causes of death = pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, diarrhea, heart disease, and stroke
  • 2001 - 8 leading causes = Heart Disease (700,142), Cancer (553,768), Stroke (163,538), Chronic lower respiratory diseases (123,013), Accidents (101,537), Diabetes (71,372), Influenza/Pneumonia (62,034), Alzheimer's (53,852).
• 1900 - 8,000 cars in the nation, 10 miles of paved roads, and 96 automobile-related deaths
  • 2000 - 129,749,000 cars, 3.9 million miles of paved roads, and 26,000 automobile-related deaths
• 1900 - California the 21st most populous state = 1.4 million
  • 2000 - California the most populous state = 33,871,648 residents
• 1900 - The average worker made $200 - $400 per year
  • 2000 - The average worker made $26,412 per year
• 1900 - Two of ten adults could not read or write
  • 2000 - 37% of adults were functionally illiterate
• 1900 - 6% of all Americans graduated from high school
  • 2000 - 82.6% of all Americans graduated from high school
• 1900 - 8% of American homes had a telephone
  • 2000 - 99% of American homes had at least 1 television; 66% of homes had 3 or more TV sets; average American watched 28 hours/week (2 months of non-stop TV watching/year; 9 years of a 65-year life)
• 1900 - There were about 230 reported murders nationwide
  • 2000 - There were 15,533 reported murders nationwide.