Immigration

1. Immigration Chapter 7

2. Objectives: • To look at the rise of immigration at the turn of the century • To evaluate the promise of the “American Dream” • To analyze the economic, social, and political effects of immigration and to understand the immigrant experience

3. Immigrants came to US for a better life. • Some were “birds of passage” intending to earn $ and return home

4. Between 1870 – 1920, about 20 million people came to America. • Before 1890, immigrants came from western and northern Europe.

6. After 1890, they came from southern and eastern Europe, esp. Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. (lots of prejudice against new immigrants) Why?

7. Why these immigrants came: • Escape persecution • Better jobs • Independence/freedom

8. European immigrants came through Ellis Island (New York).

10. 7 steps an immigrant followed at Ellis Island

11. Baggage Room….

12. Steps to medical exam…

14. Waiting area for interviews…

15. Prove reason for coming….

16. Money exchange, train tickets, everyone had to have $20.00…

17. The Kissing Post…..

18. Chinese and Japanese immigrants came through Angel Island in San Francisco. • They were discriminated and restricted.

19. All Immigrants suffered from culture shock. • Some Americans took advantage of this. • Ethnic communities sprang up for protection. • They thought of themselves as “hyphenated Americans” – Chinese-Americans, Italian-Americans, etc.

20. Some wanted a melting pot – mixture of different cultures and races

21. Some immigrants refused to “melt in”, causing anti-immigrant feelings among native born Americans. (salad bowl idea)

22. Americanization movement – attempt to assimilate different cultures into American.

23. Nativism – favoritism toward native-born Americans. • Led to xenophobia and restrictions on immigrants. • Nativists believed Anglo-Saxons were superior to other ethnic groups.

24. Much anti-immigrant reaction to Jews and Catholics.

25. Literacy tests were eventually required for immigrants

26. Chinese immigrants worked for lower wages, so…. • 1882, Chinese Exclusion Act - closed Chinese immigration- except for students, teachers, merchants, tourists and gov’t officials. • Law was not changed until 1943.

27. This fear was extended to most Asians. • 1907-1908 –Gentlemen’s Agreement between Pres. T. Roosevelt and Japan, required limited emigration of Japanese unskilled workers to the US, and in exchange, San Francisco would not segregate Japanese already in America.

30. Urbanization – Chapter 7

31. Objectives: • To explore the rise in urbanization • To understand the problems faced by people in the new cities • To describe the attempts at reform of the cities

32. Factors leading to Urbanization: 1. Population Explosion. Between 1870 and 1920, the urban population exploded from 10 million to 54 million causing serious problems in the cities of the Midwest and Northeast.

33. 2. As farming improved, less need for farmers led many to move to the cities.

34. 3. 1890-1930, Southern African-Americans moved north and west to cities to escape oppression. • Job competition between blacks and whites caused racial tension and segregation in Northern cities.

35. Urban Problems: 1. Housing: Row houses Tenement houses Slums resulted….

37. 2. Transportation: • Lack of transportation for the poor • Result: street cars and the electric subway.

38. 3. Water: • Safe drinking water was a problem, little indoor plumbing.. • Cholera and typhoid fever were spread in water supplies Result - Filtration and chlorination were introduced in the late 1800’s and early 1900’’s

39. 4. Sanitation: • horse manure in the streets • sewage in open gutters • foul factory smoke • undependable trash collection • garbage in the streets • dirty outhouses Result - sanitation departments were opened

40. 5. Crime: • Pickpockets and thieves flourished Result - New York City organized the first full time police force in 1844. too small to make a difference

42. 6. Fire: • Limited water supply, wooden housing, candles and kerosene heaters contributed to fires. Result: • First fire departments (mostly voluntary, but by 1900, cities had full time fire depts.) • Brick and stone replaced wood.

43. Great Chicago Fire, 1871 Burned for 24 hours Killed about 300 3 square miles burned 17,500 bldgs. destroyed San Francisco Earthquake, 1908 1000 people died 200,000 homeless Fire swept 5 square miles 28,000 bldgs. destroyed Two major city disasters:

45. City Reformers: • Social Gospel movement preached salvation through service to the poor. • Settlement houses – community houses in the slums to provide services and education for the poor.

46. Hull House was started by Jane Addams (in Chicago).

47. Politics in the Gilded Age: • Political Machines took over city politics. • Mostly operated like a pyramid with the mayor at the top – The Boss.

48. City Bosses: • Bosses provided services in exchange for kickbacks. • The machine helped immigrants get jobs and places to live in exchange for their votes.

49. Political Machines used fraud and graft (illegal use of political influence for personal gain) to gain power and wealth.

50. Boss Tweed of New York: • William Tweed of New York City became the head of Tammany Hall, NYC’s Democratic machine (1868) and got wealthy from kickbacks, etc. • Tweed Ring