Andrew Cayton
Ohio, the History of a People
Postindustrialization, suburbanization, race, and generational conflict destroyed Caucasian neighborhoods as well as African American ones. This divided citizens of Ohio rather than uniting them as citizens. It was the cities that suffered the most do to the divide, but small towns suffered in many ways. As residents of the small towns left in large numbers to bigger and better places, the small communities began to wither. By the 1980s, many towns promoted themselves as lost worlds. Cincinnati and Dayton were among two of the cities the small towners were moving too. The attraction of jobs was irresistible to Ohioans so they moved into the suburbs of the cities. Suburbs became the romanticized version of small town life in the city. It combined the complexity of the city with the simple life from their former communities. Every city and town in Ohio wanted to be know for something great to encourage people to reside there. This developed into a massive tourism boom in Ohio. Every village announced that it was home to some unique event or famous person. The small towns liked to associate themselves with people who did great things, but they were also advertising that these famous people also moved away and left the town to do better things.
