Bridge to the 20 th Century Industry, Immigration, and Reform- Immigrants and Urbanization.

Bridge to the 20th Century

Industry, Immigration, and Reform- Immigrants and

Urbanization

The New Immigrants

Push vs. Pull FactorsPush

War, famine, religious persecution, political persecution, and poverty

PullEconomic opportunity, religious freedom

Where the immigrants were coming from?

Europe1870-1920

20 million immigrants arrived from Europe

Pre 1890Most immigrants came from western and northern Europe

Where the immigrants were coming from?Europe

Post 1890Increasing numbers came from southern and eastern Europe

Why were these groups immigrating?Religious persecution

Jews in RussiaRising population

1800-1900 European population doubled, leading to scarce farmland

Political Freedom

ChineseChinese

Originally pulled in by the Gold Rush and later helped in railroad construction

Congress limited their immigration numbers via legislation in 1882

JapaneseJapanese

Many were recruited to work in Hawaiian agriculture

When the US acquired Hawaii immigration increased due to high wages.

West Indies and Mexico

West IndiesLeft homelands because of scarce jobs

MexicoCame for job opportunity and to escape political upheaval.

Life in a new land

A Difficult JourneyMost traveled by steamship in the below decks in conditions of squalor

Points of Entry Ellis Island

Immigrant processing point in New York. Had to pass a physical or they were sent

home.Tuberculosis and other contagious

diseases were cause for return home. Then had to pass a government inspector

Had to pass a test in their native language, show they could work, and have $25

16 million passed through from 1892-1943 At one point they would process 11,000 people a

day

Points of Entry

Angel IslandImmigration processing center on the west coast

Handled primarily Asian traffic

Harsher than Ellis Island with poorer facilities

Results of Culture Shock

Many immigrants experienced issues with being in a new culture and land

To combat this they formed ethnic communities within the US.

Here they tried to keep old world values and traditions while trying to assimilate

Set up social welfare programs in their communities Many felt like hyphenated Americans because of attitude

of native born Americans IE: Italian-American, Polish-American, etc.

Immigration Restrictions The Melting Pot

The idea favored by native born Americans that immigrants were to come together and abandon their native language and culture and become Americanized.

Southern and Eastern European immigrants were unwilling to do this and this causes resentment among the native born.

Rise of Nativism

Anti-Asian Sentiment

Culturally and appearance wise the Chinese were very different

Many on the West Coast feared the Chinese would take their jobs because they accepted lower wages.

Depression of 1873 Led to riots that ended in violence.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Law banning almost all Chinese immigration that

stayed on the books until 1943 Gentleman’s Agreement of 1907

In San Francisco Asian students were segregated from schools

Led to Anti-American riots in China, Japan, and Korea

To settle matter Teddy Roosevelt traded the end of the segregation for Japan limiting immigration

The Problems of Urbanization

UrbanizationWhat is it?

Rapid growth of cities

Immigrants Settle in the Cities

Why?Cities were the cheapest place to live

Had jobs for unskilled laborers in factories

Had social network of other immigrants

Immigrants Settle in the Cities

Migration to the City

Technological advances made farming more efficient and less labor intensive.

African-Americans were hit hard and some 200,000 move to the north and west, but find similar attitudes towards race.

Urban Problems

Housing

Transportation Mass Transit

Electric subways and rail cars begin to appear. Linked city center’s to the outskirts of town. Allowed for commuting to work.

Water Water was unsafe and unsanitary Spread diseases like typhoid fever and cholera Large cities began building public water systems, but

it was slow going.

SanitationHorse manure gathered in

the streetsMany dumped their trash

into alleys and streets.Sewer systems helped, but

were just starting to evolve.

Fire Lack of accessible water made fighting fires hard. Closely packed wooden buildings gave plenty of fuel to a

fire. This was countered with professional fire departments,

buildings constructed of brick and concrete, and technology advances in fighting fires.

Crime Rampant with pick pockets and con men singling out

immigrants. Gangs flourished

Reformers Mobilize

Who were the Reformers?Mostly educated white middle-class men and women

Social Gospel MovementWhat was it?

Movement to aid the poor based on the idea that Christians have a responsibility to improve working conditions and eliminate poverty.

Social Gospel MovementWhat it did?

Encouraged the establishment of churches and aid programs within the cities themselves.

The All Peoples' Mission 1892

Settlement House MovementWhat was it?

A movement towards building community centers that provided assistance to residents of slum neighborhoods.

Settlement House MovementWho ran them?

Primarily Middle-class College educated women who provided educational, cultural, and social services.

What does this all mean?

The movements established the need for social responsibility toward the urban poor and the problems faced in urbanization.

The Emergence of the Political Machine

The Political MachineWhat is it?

An organized group that controls the activities of a political party in a city and exchange services for political or financial support.

The Political MachineHow were they set up?

Like a pyramid.What did they do?

Politicians traded jobs and contracts for the votes that the wards could promise.

The Political MachineWhat did the City Boss do?

They controlled thousands of city jobs (police, fire, etc.)

Controlled business licenses and inspections

Provided government support for new businesses.

The Political MachineWhat role did immigrants

play?They were intensely loyal due to the aid the machine provided.Helped find jobs and places to live.

The Political MachineHelped them become naturalized

In exchange for services they gave the machine their votes.

Municipal Graft and ScandalElection Fraud

Machines would often pad the eligible voter list with phony names and stuff the ballot box to ensure victory.

Municipal Graft and Scandal

Municipal Graft and Scandal

Politics in the Gilded Age

Reforms-Civil Service Replaces

Patronage

The ProblemPatronage (Spoils System)The practice of giving government jobs to those who had helped a candidate get elected to office.

Presidents and ReformHayes

His appointees to office fired those who were being paid to do no work

Investigated and fired officials in the corrupt customs houses

Workers there spent most of their time working for the Republican Party

Presidents and ReformGarfield and Arthur

James Garfield (Reformer of the Spoils System) was elected President by a split Republican party with Chester Arthur as VP

Arthur had been fired for corruption in the custom houses by Garfield

An anti-reformer assassinates Garfield, making Arthur President.

Presidents and Reform

Efforts to Regulate Tariffs