Life at the turn of the 20th Century
ImmigrationUrban LifePoliticsDiscrimination
Immigration Statistics Between 1800-1880: about 10 million
immigrants came to U.S. – these are the “old immigrants” Mainly western Europe
Between 1880-1910:about 18 million immigrants arrive in U.S-these are the “new immigrants” Mainly from southern and eastern
Europe and some from Asia
Immigrants 1880-1910: Where did they come from? Ellis Island
(NY): opened 1892
Came from southern and eastern Europe… Greece, Italy, Poland, Russia
Angel Island (California):
opened 1910 for Asian immigrants
Why did immigrants come to America?
Better life Jews fled Russia and eastern Europe to
escape Religious persecution Southern and eastern Europe had poverty
and little economic opportunity Found better life but also met hardships
(tenements, low-paying, unskilled jobs)
Reactions to Immigration Nativists: immigrants are a threat
Blamed immigrants for increased crime, poverty, and high unemployment
West Coast- prejudice directed towards Asians
Americanization – some wanted immigrants to blend and helped them
State and Federal Laws State
California restricted Chinese against holding jobs and where they could live
San Francisco made Japanese students attend different schools
Federal Chinese Exclusion
Act 1882: banned immigration for 10 years and stopped Chinese immigrants from becoming citizens
Congress passed a literacy test in opposition to Wilson
Where did they live? Most immigrants moved to the cities
for job opportunities Created neighborhoods that were
similar in religion, language and cultural beliefs
Helped each other through the difficult times
Urban Life Space became crowded so they built
upwards (skyscrapers) Invention of Elevators made it
possible to get to upper floors Concern for green space in cities
Solution: Designed city parks (Central Park, etc.)
Lifestyles of the classesThe wealthy The middle
classThe working class
-made money in industry and business-showed off wealth in homes (5th Ave)
-corporate employees and professionals
-most city residents-Lived in tenements-most women worked
Attempt to overcome poverty Settlement house – volunteers
helped teach English and job skills to immigrants
Hull House (Chicago) founded by Jane Adams and Ellen Gates Starr
Henry Street Settlement (New York) 1910 – over 400 settlement houses
in U.S.
Political Scandals City Scandals
Machine bosses won support by giving jobs – expected votes
Tammany Hall (NYC) – Boss Tweed – convicted of fraud and sent to prison
Federal Scandals U.S.Grant – Credit
Mobilier scandal – funneled money from Union Pacific to Credit Mobilier stockholders
Pendelton Civil Service Act – required promotion be made on merit not political connections
Farmers’ Reform Movements
Crop prices falling Order of Patrons of Husbandry
(National Grange) Persuade state legislatures to regulate
railroad rates Supreme Court ruled that federal
government should regulate this Interstate Commerce Act 1887 –
reasonable railroad rates (1st time Fed. Gov. regulated industry)
Silver vs. Gold Pro Silver
Farmers wanted more paper money to circulate - thought more money would help their debt
Pro Gold 1873 Congress
put the U.S. dollar on the gold standard – reduced the amount of money in circulation
Why is gold vs. silver a problem? Gold and silver do not have the
same $ value. Paper money purchased with silver
is technically worth less than paper money purchased with gold
Politics for Silver Populist Party – called for bank
regulation, government ownership of RR, and free (unlimited coinage of silver)
Election of 1896 – William Jennings Bryan (D) wanted free coinage of silver – lost election
Politics for Gold Sherman Silver Purchase Act(1892)
required government to purchase silver with paper money redeemable in either gold or silver – possibly caused stock market crash and loss of jobs
Election of 1896 – William McKinley ® supported gold standard – backed by business leaders – won election
Discrimination Wanted to keep African Americans
from voting – poll tax, literacy test Jim Crow Laws – legislature passed
to create and enforce segregation in public places
1st law passed in Tennessee – separate rail cars
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Homer Plessy (African American)
tested law in Louisiana and sat in a whites-only train
Arrested and case went to U.S. Supreme Court
Ruled “separate but equal” facilities did not violate the 14th amendment
Approaches to fight racism Booker T
Washington: born into slavery said to accept segregation for the moment
Acquire farming and vocational skills
Tuskegee Institute
W.E.B. Du Bois: should strive for full rights immediately
Founded the Niagara Movement
Niagara Movement founded NAACP
Others face discrimination
Hispanic Americans
Asian Americans
Native Americans
-Mexican Immigrants – debt peonage:is a method of debt repayment in which an individual makes his payments to a creditor by physical labor.
-Limited where they can live-outlawed marriages with whites
Americanization Policy-lived on reservations-Indian Citizenship Act of 1924