American culture dynamically developed and modernized after the Civil War until the 1920s. Its population experienced strong population growth due to the arrival of immigrants from European countries. American citizens left their rural properties to live in booming cities. According to the Historical Archives, “the population of cities exploded at this time. In fact, during this fifty-year period, the country's urban population grew from less than ten million to more than fifty million people – a remarkable 500%” (Administrator). The city lifestyle has allowed American civilians to see their salaries increase and have more free time as part of their daily schedule. Urban Americans sought to make the most of their newly created free time by sightseeing, taking vacations, or attending inexpensive entertainment like the cinema or theater (Administrator). The popularity of live performances grew exponentially in the late 19th century. The United States prospered with circuses, baseball fields for sporting events, nightclubs, world and national fairs, and theatrical traveling shows. Growing amusement parks, such as Coney Island, attracted patronage not only by offering thrilling rides, but also by offering a range of new theatrical vaudeville shows. Vaudeville grew in popularity because it strove to attract people of all socioeconomic classes and cultural backgrounds and offered low admission prices. These included a diversity of individual performances ranging from comedy sketches, singing, acrobatic stunts to magic shows. “Variety theater attracted a wider audience than the “legitimate” theater which presented classical performances” (Administrator). For this reason, vaudeville theater grew in popularity as it was able to captivate the population with a wide range of performances.