crowd into

[cheshire]

In many of America's cities, poor people crowded into filthy slums.

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Does it mean
(1) poor people crowded and flooded into the cities, as a result forming filthy slums,
or
(2) poor people crowded and they began to live together in the filthy slums that had already been formed?

 

[bizco]

more (2) as poor people are usually forced to live together in small flats to save on rent so you have high density living.

 

[Bil]

Hi cheshire

The significance of the original sentence in all likelihood encompasses aspects provided in both of your examples. 1) Only the least hospitable quarters of the city would have been available to the poor in the first place. 2) Although the arrival of the poor might have been steady, it would have been gradual, so the filth would have continued to accumulate to greater degrees over time.

Lovely thought, ain't it.

 

[cheshire]

Thanks!
I wasn't sure "crowd into" is a "moving" type or "increasing" type. Your avatar is cute, Bil.