Immigration and Modern Urban Growth

1. Immigration and Modern Urban Growth Chapter 20 Section 2

2. Industrialization Changes Cities • New inventions and materials sped up industrial growth. • Industries drawn to cities with good transportation and plentiful workers. • Urbanization – the growth of cities. • skyscrapers. Increased the amount of housing and business. • 1889 – the first elevator was installed allowing for taller buildings. • The use of steel helped engineers for building.

3. continued • Skyscrapers changed city skylines forever. • 1900 – electric streetcars • By allowing workers to live further away from their jobs, public transportation helped new suburbs develop. • Some suburbs wanted to merge with big cities for the transportation. (Chicago)

4. The New Immigrants • Key ? – who were the new immigrants and where did they settle in the U.S.? • Before 1896 immigrants came from northern and western Europe. • After 1896 immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe. (southern Italy, Poland and Russia. • This group became known as the “new immigrants”.

5. The New immigrants • Key ? Who were the new immigrants and where did they settle in the U.S.? • Ellis Island – (New York) first stop for European immigrants. • Had to pass physical health exam – name, occupation, and financial situation . • Angel Island – (San Francisco) filthy buildings and held for weeks. • Mexican immigrants usually entered through Texas.

6. Finding work and housing • Immigrants drawn to cities for work. • Ethnic neighborhoods were created. (Little Italy) • European –settled in the East and Midwest. • Look for industrial jobs. • Asian – settled in the West. • Chinese worked on the railroads; Japanese worked on sugar plantations. • Fished, farmed, or worked in mines. • Mexicans found work on ranches in CA and TX, and copper mines in AZ.

7. What did native- born americans fear about immigrants? • “Melting Pot” – a place where cultures blend. • Assimilation – blending into society; studied English and American citizenship. • Did not give up their cultures completely. • Native-born citizens feared new religions coming in, being controlled by politicians, taking jobs from them. • Immigrants would take any job for cheap wages. • Sweatshops –hot crowded dangerous factories.

8. Contiued • Some Americans wanted immigration banned or restricted. • Chinese Exclusion Act – banned Chinese immigration for 10 years. • Chinese workers faced low wages and violence. • Mexicans and African Americans were forced into peonage; a system of labor, people are forced to work until they have paid off debts.

9. What Problems were caused by urbanization? • Natural Disasters (San Francisco) • Poverty and Disease. • Old run-down tenements: crowded, landlord neglect, poor design, garbage and sewage. • Slums • Jane Adams – founded Hull House in Chicago; to help with daycare, education, and health care to needy. • Settlement houses began to spring up inspired by the social gospel movement. (worked for labor reform)

10. Political Machines • Political machine – is an illegal gang that influences enough votes to control a local government. • Tammany Hall – the most famous located in New York was led by William Marcy Tweed (“Boss Tweed”) • Stole money from the city. • Ironically, they did some good things like building parks, sewers schools, roads, and orphanages in many cities. • Immigrants supported the machines in return for finding them jobs.