Chapter 21: Changes in American Life Section 1: Cities Grow and Change Section 2: The New Immigrants.

Chapter 21: Changes in American LifeChapter 21: Changes in American LifeSection 1: Cities Grow and ChangeSection 1: Cities Grow and Change

Section 2: The New ImmigrantsSection 2: The New Immigrants

1900 began to be a time of 1900 began to be a time of urbanizationurbanization

Urban = citiesUrban = cities Lots of industry / Lots of industry /

factories in cities, factories in cities, so there were lots so there were lots of jobs for people.of jobs for people.

(A lot of these (A lot of these workers were workers were immigrants)immigrants)

And new technologies helped these And new technologies helped these citiescities

Steel meant Steel meant skyscrapers were skyscrapers were possible, but the possible, but the elevator was elevator was invented – so it invented – so it was then practical was then practical to use a tall to use a tall building.building.

Patent drawing of Otis' elevator

Trains and streetcars meant Trains and streetcars meant people could travel further places people could travel further places

fasterfaster They could live a ways They could live a ways

away from work and away from work and ““commutecommute””

In New York they put In New York they put these streetcars these streetcars underground – and got underground – and got the subways.the subways.

In Chicago it was In Chicago it was easier to elevate them easier to elevate them above the city – the above the city – the ““eell””

The Illinois Tunnel The Illinois Tunnel Company ( later known as Company ( later known as the Chicago Tunnel the Chicago Tunnel Company) started Company) started operating trains through operating trains through the freight tunnels in the freight tunnels in 1906.  The small four 1906.  The small four wheel electric locomotives wheel electric locomotives hauled pony freight cars hauled pony freight cars between stores, office between stores, office buildings, post office buildings, post office facilities, warehouses, facilities, warehouses, factories, and railroad factories, and railroad stations.  The tiny cars stations.  The tiny cars carried packages, goods, carried packages, goods, mail, food, coal, cinders, mail, food, coal, cinders, and occasionally people!and occasionally people!

In 1893 Chicago even had the In 1893 Chicago even had the ““WorldWorld’’s Columbian Expositions Columbian Exposition”” World's Columbian World's Columbian

Exposition in Chicago Exposition in Chicago celebrated the celebrated the "stupendous results of "stupendous results of American enterprise" American enterprise" and attracted 27 million and attracted 27 million visitors over six months. visitors over six months. The first Ferris Wheel The first Ferris Wheel towered 250 feet over towered 250 feet over the midway and could the midway and could carry 2,160 people at carry 2,160 people at one time. one time.

The Women’s Building

The Administration Building

The Electricity Building

The Liberal Arts Building

But with this great progress But with this great progress came some bad thingscame some bad things

These city people just These city people just didndidn’’t always have t always have enough places to live.enough places to live.

Many people ended up Many people ended up living in tenements living in tenements

(run down, overcrowded (run down, overcrowded apartments)apartments)

Tenements / city living in Tenements / city living in 19001900

Old buildingsOld buildings Not kept up by Not kept up by

landlordslandlords Poorly designedPoorly designed Several families living Several families living

togethertogether Inadequate garbage Inadequate garbage

removal – some removal – some people just threw it in people just threw it in the alley/gutterthe alley/gutter

Little fresh air / smellyLittle fresh air / smelly Many had no running Many had no running

waterwater Sewage flowing in Sewage flowing in

open guttersopen gutters

Some entire sections of cities Some entire sections of cities were filled with tenement were filled with tenement buildings and were called buildings and were called

slumsslums Neighborhoods with Neighborhoods with crowded, dangerous crowded, dangerous housinghousing

Some tried to help these Some tried to help these people.people.

In Chicago: In Chicago: Jane AdamsJane Adams

Founded Founded ““Hull Hull HouseHouse”” to help the to help the poor and poor and immigrants immigrants improve their lives.improve their lives.

The immigrants that came in the The immigrants that came in the 18901890’’s / 1900 were called s / 1900 were called ““new new

immigrantsimmigrants”” Early 1800 immigrants Early 1800 immigrants

came from a lot of came from a lot of Northern and Western Northern and Western European countries.European countries.

These immigrants These immigrants were now often from were now often from Southern and Eastern Southern and Eastern Europe – Italians, Jews, Europe – Italians, Jews, Poles, Russians.Poles, Russians.

You probably know most of the You probably know most of the story:story:

Get off the boat at Get off the boat at Ellis Island.Ellis Island.

Get checked out – Get checked out – healthy stay healthy stay (diseased – get sent (diseased – get sent home)home)

““Welcome to Welcome to America – there you America – there you gogo”” and off they and off they wentwent

But if you were an Asian But if you were an Asian immigrantimmigrant

You entered atYou entered at Angel Island Angel Island in San Francisco.in San Francisco. Sometimes immigrants would be kept several Sometimes immigrants would be kept several

weeks there before they could enter the country.weeks there before they could enter the country.

Many Mexicans came in Many Mexicans came in through:through:

TexasTexas

These immigrants settled in:These immigrants settled in:New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburg,

ChicagoChicago About half of all About half of all

immigrants lived in immigrants lived in Massachusetts, New Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, York, Pennsylvania, and…and…

IllinoisIllinois Often theyOften they’’d end up d end up

trying to all move to the trying to all move to the same neighborhoods – same neighborhoods – and we still have many and we still have many of those same of those same neighborhoods today neighborhoods today (Little Italy, Chinatown, (Little Italy, Chinatown, Lithuanian Village, etc…)Lithuanian Village, etc…)

And itAnd it’’s not just today…s not just today… Immigrants have always Immigrants have always

taken the jobs other taken the jobs other people didnpeople didn’’t want.t want.

Usually low paying, Usually low paying, sometimes unsafe, with sometimes unsafe, with poor working conditions.poor working conditions.

Because so many immigrants Because so many immigrants have always come to have always come to

America…America… America has often been America has often been

described as a described as a ““melting melting potpot””

(mixture of different (mixture of different parts)parts)

These immigrants have These immigrants have always tried to always tried to assimilateassimilate into into American cultureAmerican culture

(Blending into society)(Blending into society)

But since there have always But since there have always been prejudiced people, been prejudiced people,

There were times in There were times in AmericaAmerica’’s history when we s history when we wouldnwouldn’’t let certain groups t let certain groups in.in.

There were times when There were times when immigrants may have had immigrants may have had to pay extra taxes to get to pay extra taxes to get in.in.

For about 10 years, no For about 10 years, no Chinese were let into the Chinese were let into the countrycountry

People who didnPeople who didn’’t like t like these immigrants were these immigrants were called nativistscalled nativists