In the 1880s, when skyscrapers starting popping up in cities all over America, fire safety quickly became an issue. There were previous fire escape designs, but many of them involved ropes and ladders and were quite dangerous themselves. It wasn’t until 1887, when Anna Connelly received a patent for her fire escape, that the world received a safer standard. Her basic design still in use today.
When the American Civil War ended in 1865, millions of people started moving from the rural areas of the country into the cities. In fact, between 1880 and 1900, American cities grew by 15 million people.
