Immigrants & Urbanization Chapter 7. Chapter Overview The population rises as immigrants supply a willing workforce for urban industrialization and political.

Immigrants & UrbanizationChapter 7

Chapter Overview

The population rises as immigrants supply a willing workforce for urban industrialization and political base for many urban politicians. Abuses in local and national government prompt calls for reform.

Section One: The New Immigrants

• Europeans—flooded East coast• Chinese and Japanese—West coast• Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and

Mexico• Why Immigrate?

• Lured by promise of better life• Escape conditions

• Some immigrated temporarily to take money back home to their families


• A Difficult Journey• Trip across Atlantic=One Week• Trip across Pacific=Three Weeks• Poor conditions, many deaths

• Ellis Island• Immigration Station in New York• Detained up to several days• Pass physical exam• Government Inspection—documents, state

purpose

Ellis Island, 1892-1954.


• Angel Island—San Francisco Bay• Harsh questioning, long detentions• Poor conditions

• Cooperation for Survival• Finding a place to live• Getting a job• Language & Culture• Many immigrants formed ethnic

communities

Angel Island


• Melting Pot—mixture of people of different cultures and races who blended together by abandoning their native languages and customs

• Nativism—extreme favoritism toward native-born Americans

• Anti-Immigrant groups• Restrictions—only wanted people that

would improve America


• Immigration Restriction League• Literacy test, 40 words in English

• Anti-Asian Sentiment• 1882, Chinese Exclusion Act

• Banned all except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, government officials

• The Gentleman’s Agreement• Limit unskilled workers from Japan, repeal San

Francisco segregation order

Questions to ponder…

1. What are some push and pull factors influence immigration to America?

2. What was the journey like?3. What was the experience of Ellis & Angel

Island like?4. What was life like once immigrants were

admitted?5. How is the phrase “melting pot” positive

and negative?6. Why did people have anti-immigrant

feelings?

Section Two: The Challenges of Urbanization

• Urbanization—growth of cities due to technological boom• mostly in Midwest & Northeast

• Immigrants lived in cities because of cheap living and available jobs

• Rural population moving to cities because farming not needed as much• 1890—twice as many Irish in NYC than

Dublin, Ireland!!


• Americanization Movement• Assimilation• Teach immigrants skills needed for

citizenship• English Literacy• American History & Government• Cooking• Social Etiquette

• Most wanted to stay in ethnic groups• Overcrowded


• Housing Problems• Live on outskirts with transportation problem

or rent a cramped, unclean room?• Row Houses—single family homes shared

walls• Tenements—Overcrowded, unsanitary,

multifamily homes

• Regulations• NYC set minimum standards for plumbing

and ventilations in apartments

New York City, 1900


• Transportation—mass transits move large number of people along fixed routes• Helped people get to work easily• Street cars, electric subways

• Public Water Works• Indoor plumbing was seldom• Cholera & Typhoid fever • 1870—filtration, 1908--chlorination


• Sanitation• Horse manure in the streets• Sewage in open gutters• Garbage in streets

• Crime• Pickpockets and thieves common• 1844—NYC, 1st full-time police force• Cincinnati, OH—1st paid Fire Department


• Reformers• Social Gospel Movement—preached salvation

through service of the poor• Settlement houses—community centers in

slum neighborhoods that provided assistance to people in area, especially immigrants• Provided educational, cultural, & social services

• Jane Addams—founded Chicago’s Hull House• Locust Street Social Settlement

• Settlement house for African-Americans

Section Three: Politics in the Gilded Age• Time for new power structures• Political Machines: group that

controlled the activities of a political party in a city; offered services in exchange for political or financial support• Solved urban problems to reinforce voter

loyalty• Helped immigrants with citizenship,

housing and jobs

Section Three: Politics in the Gilded Age

City Boss—Controls all

political activities

Ward Boss—secured all votes in

electoral district

Local Precinct Workers—gain local votes


• Increase in Election Fraud—use of fake names to vote

• Graft—illegal use of political influence for personal gain• Political machine helps person find job at

construction company• Person charges city more for supplies• Money is “kicked back” to political machine


• Boss Tweed(William M. Tweed)• Head of Tammany Hall (NYC Democratic

political machine)


• Election of 1880, Republican nomination up for grabs• Stalwarts—who supported the spoils system

•Patronage—giving of government jobs to people who helped candidates get elected

• Reformers—wanted change• Independent, James A. Garfield, won election• Stalwart, Chester A. Arthur, nominated VP


• July 2, 1881, because of his support of civil service reform, Garfield was shot• Died September 19• Arthur became president (shooter was stalwart)

• Once in office, became a reformer

• Pendleton Civil Service Act• make appointments to federal jobs through

merit system based on examination

Immigrants & Urbanization Chapter 7. Chapter Overview The population rises as immigrants supply a willing workforce for urban industrialization and political.

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