Immigrants and Urbanization

1. Immigrants and Urbanization The New Immigrants

2. The New Immigrants • Objectives: 1. To summarize the various parts of the world from which immigrants came to the “golden door” 2. To describe the journey immigrants endured and how they passed through the immigration station 3. To explain the kinds of discrimination immigrants faced and the actions taken by nativists

3. The New Immigrants: Why did they come to the U.S.? • Millions of immigrants entered the U.S. in the late 19th & early 20th century • Lured by promises of a better life (make more money) • Some wanted to escape difficult conditions (poverty, famine, political/religious persecution)

4. The New Immigrants: Where did they come from? • Europe (Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Austria, Hungary, Russia & Italy) • China • Japan • West Indies • Mexico

5. European Immigrants • Between 1870 – 1920 approximately 20 million European immigrants arrived in the U.S. • Before 1890 most immigrants came from Great Britain, Ireland, & Germany • After 1890 many came from Austria, Hungary, Russia & especially Italy. • In 1905 alone, nearly 1 million immigrants came to the U.S.

6. European Immigrants: Why leave Europe? • Religious Persecution led Jews in Russia to flee and come to the U.S. • Rising population led to land shortages: between 1800 and 1900, European population doubled to 432 million. • No land for farmers & few industrial jobs led Europeans to the U.S. • Political reform & revolt in France, Germany & Italy. The spirit of these reforms led Europeans to seek independent lives in the U.S.

7. Immigrants From China • Came to the West coast in smaller numbers • Between 1851 and 1883 about 200,000 Chinese immigrants arrived • Wanted to discover gold in the California gold rush • Helped build the transcontinental railroad in the West • After the railroads were finished, they worked as farmers, miners & domestic service • Chinese immigration was limited by a congressional act in 1882.

8. Japanese Immigrants • In 1884 Hawaiian planters started to recruit Japanese workers • In 1898 when Hawaii became a U.S. territory, Japanese emigrated to the West Coast • Japanese immigrants came for higher wages and a better life

9. West Indies Immigrants • West Indies included: Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico & other islands • Jobs were scarce in their homelands • Arrived in the eastern and southeastern parts of the U.S.

10. Mexican Immigrants • Many Mexicans became U.S. residents without leaving home due to the statehood of Texas & acquisition of vast territories after the Mexican War of 1848 • Other Mexican immigrants traveled northward to find jobs in farming • Many left Mexico after 1910 due to political and social upheaval • Nearly 1 million Mexican immigrants came to the U.S. after 1910 (7% of the Mexican population)

11. A Difficult Journey: How did they get here? (Objective 2) • By 1870 almost all immigrants traveled by steamship • Across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe took about 1 week • Pacific Ocean crossing from Asia took about 3 weeks • Journey was stormy, uncomfortable & frightening

12. A Difficult Journey cont… • Many traveled in the cargo section of the steamship • Crowded together in a dark space, no fresh air, no exercise • Slept in lice infested bunks, & shared toilets with all the passengers • Many diseases were spread & some immigrants died before reaching their destination of the U.S.

13. Ellis Island • First glimpse of America was exciting and breathtaking. • Those feelings were soon overtaken by loneliness, anxiety, homesickness • Had to pass inspection at immigration stations • Processing of immigrants could take up to 5 hours: a long process

16. Ellis Island: Processing Immigrants • Had to pass a physical examination by a doctor • If they had a serious health problem or a contagious disease they were sent home • About 2% were sent home • If you passed the medical exam, immigrants then went to a government inspector • For the government inspection immigrants had to: have all required documents, pass a literacy test, prove they were capable of working & have at least $25 on them • A ferry would take those who passed to New York city • From 1892 to 1943 17 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island • At its peak from 1905 – 1907: 11,000 immigrants/day

17. Angel Island: West Coast • Asians passed through Angel Island (San Francisco) on the West Coast • Filthy & run down buildings were used to hold Asian immigrants like prisoners • Had to go through very harsh questioning & detained for extended periods waiting for a decision from government officials • Asian immigrants rioted in 1919 • Often wrote poems on the walls

19. Immigrants & Culture Shock • Most immigrants didn’t understand the American way of life – very different than the immigrants • Upon arrival: had to find a place to live, a job, learning English • Con man would often take advantage of immigrants stealing what little they had • Immigrants reached out to others who shared their native language, values, religion, etc.

20. Immigrants & Culture Shock • Ethnic communities started to develop: they were a lifeline to new immigrants • Immigrants could bond, set up social clubs, support one another, establish churches & cemeteries • Native born Americans often disliked immigrants: they were unfamiliar with their language & customs & viewed them as a threat

21. Immigration Restrictions (Objective 3) • Conflict arose: native born Americans thought of America as the melting pot. Immigrants of all different cultures coming here, giving up their own culture to be a part of the American way • Immigrants thought differently: they came here for a better life, but refused to give up their ethnic & cultural identity • A strong anti-immigrant feeling emerged & government passed legislation restricting immigrants

22. The Rise of Nativism • Nativism: an overt favoritism toward native-born Americans • A rise in anti-immigrants groups • Discrimination against certain immigrants: British, German & Scandinavians were better than Asians & Latin ethnic groups • Fear of the rise & influence of the Catholic and Jewish religions

23. Anti-Asian Sentiment • Discrimination against the Chinese: looked different, “strange” language, unfamiliar customs • The depression of 1873 intensified this discrimination: jobs were scarce & native born workers feared Chinese immigrants would accept lower pay for the available jobs • Anti-Chinese riots erupted & labor groups exerted political pressure on the government to restrict Asian immigration • In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act banning entry to all Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists & government officials

24. Gentlemen’s Agreement • Anti-Chinese fears grew to include Japanese and other Asian immigrants • In 1906, San Francisco’s Board of Ed. segregated all Chinese, Japanese & Korean children & put them in special Asian schools • Riots broke out in Japan and forced President Theodore Roosevelt to intervene • President Roosevelt set up a Gentlemen’s Agreement with Japan’s government: Segregation will end & Japan will limit immigration to U.S.

25. Question: • In your opinion, which group of immigrants faced the greatest challenges settling in the United States? Why? • (Think about: difficulties of travel, where immigrants settled, opportunities open to each immigrant group)

26. Socratic Circle • Watch video • Read two articles

27. Questions from Homework • What opportunities did immigrants have when they arrived in America? • Why did people leave the rural areas and go to the city? • What urban problems existed due to the population increase? *In housing? * With transportation? * With water & sanitation? * Crime? • What was the Social Gospel Movement & what did they do? • What was the Settlement-House Movement? Who was involved & what did they do?

28. The Emergence of the Political Machine Sec. 3 Objectives: • To explain the role of political machines and political bosses • To describe how politicians’ greed and fraud cost the taxpayers millions of dollars

29. Political Machines Run the Cities • Rapid growth, inefficient government & Social Darwinism leads to a new power structure • Political machine= an organized group that controlled the activities of a political party in a city and offered services to voters & businesses in exchange for political or financial support

30. Political Machines • Organized like a pyramid • At the base were local precinct workers & captains. They worked to gain voters’ support • Next was the Ward boss: at election time, the ward boss worked to secure votes in all of the precincts (a city’s electoral district) • Ward bosses helped the poor by doing favors or services to gain their votes • In return for their votes, people received city jobs, contracts or political appointments

31. Political machines cont.. • At the top of the pyramid was the City Boss • He controlled the activities of a political party throughout the city • Like a finely tuned machine, precinct captains, ward bosses & the city boss worked together to elect their candidate • Many political bosses fell victim to greed and corruption as their power grew

32. Immigration & Political Machines • Political machines were sympathetic to immigrants & in turn, immigrants became loyal supporters • Many political machines were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants themselves & had been raised in poverty • They could speak to immigrants in their native language, understand the challenges they faced & could find a solution to their problems • Political machines helped immigrants find jobs, housing, & become naturalized – in return they would receive the immigrants’ votes

33. Municipal Graft & Scandal • Some political machines turned to fraud to guarantee votes • They padded voter lists with names of dogs, children & people who had died – then under these names they would cast as many votes needed to win an election • Once their candidate got into office they took advantage of opportunities for graft • Graft = an unlawful acquisition of public money through questionable/improper transactions with public officials

34. An Example… • A politician would hire a person to work on a construction project for the city, then the political machine would ask the worker to turn in a bill that was higher than the actual cost of the job • The political machine would take the extra money – called a kickback or illegal payment. • Or they would grant favors to businesses in return for cash • Or they would accept bribes to allow illegal activities to happen such as gambling • Police didn’t step in because they were hired & fired by political machines – after 1900 this changed

35. Read the Tweed Scandal • Create an outline of the article I. Topic a. main ideas 1. details

36. Question to answer • “All there is to it is… doing things for people, and then later on they’ll do things for you.” -James Prendergast Explain whether you agree or disagree that machine politicians did not coerce people. --------------------------------------------------------- Why do you think corruption such as that practiced by Tweed was able to flourish in the late 19th century?

37. Tweed Scandal • City boss William Marcy Tweed became head of Tammany Hall • Tammany Hall was New York’s powerful Democratic political machine • Between 1869-1871 the Tweed Ring, a group of corrupt politicians led by Tweed, pocketed as much as $200 million from the city in kickbacks & payoffs • New York County Courthouse had an actual cost of $3 million but Tweed billed the city $11 million • The difference of $8 million went into Tweed and his follower’s pockets

38. Tweed Scandal & Public Outrage • Public had enough • Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, ridiculed Tweed in the New York Times & Harper’s Weekly • Tweed said: “I don’t care what these newspapers write about me – my constituents can’t read; but…they can see pictures”. • Tweed Ring broken in 1871 & Tweed was indicted on 220 counts of fraud & extortion

39. Politics in the Gilded Age • A period between 1870 – 1890 • The external glitter of wealth concealed a corrupt political core & reflected a growing gap between the very few rich & the many poor

40. Civil Service Replaces Patronage • Patronage - giving government jobs to people who had helped a candidate get elected • Spoils system – the winning candidate deserved the spoils, or the benefits to be gained after victory • The spoils system not only led to incompetence and fraud but also interfered with the daily running of government • People were put into positions were they lacked experience • Political appointees were not qualified for the job

41. Civil Service Replaces Patronage cont… • With each change of administration thousand of positions had to be filled • Instead of addressing important national issues, politicians distributed government jobs • Reformers began to press for a national merit system instead of the spoils systems • Merit system: jobs in civil service (government administration) would go to the most qualified person. They would keep their job no matter what political views they had or who recommended them

42. Hayes Launches Reform • Launches Civil Service Reform • Appoints independent politicians to his cabinet • Fired clerks who had no work to do • Set up a commission to investigate the nation’s customs houses • Customs houses – was a building housing the offices of government officials who processed the paperwork for the import and export of goods into & out of the country • Fires the two top officials of New York’s customs house (spent most of their time working for the Republican party instead doing their job)

43. James A. Garfield’s Reform • Definitions you need to know: Stalwarts: opposed changes in the spoils system and opposed reformers Reformers: Split into two groups Mugwumps: wanted civil service reform Half-breeds: wanted reform but were loyal to the party Neither the stalwarts or reformers could win a majority of delegates, so the convention settled on an independent candidate - Garfield

44. Garfield’s Reforms • Vice President was Chester Arthur – one of the men Hayes fired & he has ties to the stalwarts • Garfield had ties to the reformers and gave most of his patronage jobs to them • Stalwarts were furious • Charles Guiteau – whom Garfield had turned down for a job & also a stalwart –shot and killed President Garfield • Guiteau did it so VP Arthur could become President

45. President Chester Arthur’s Reforms • Becomes a reformer when he becomes president • Wanted legislation to pass a civil service law • Pendleton Act of 1882 – authorized a bipartisan civil service commission to make appointments to federal jobs through the merit system & performance • Pros: more qualified people in federal jobs, more honesty & more efficient • Cons: politician no longer asked for money from federal employees, however they start asking big business for money. The alliance between wealthy business owners & government officials became stronger

46. Regulating Tariffs Fail • Most Americans agreed that tariffs were necessary to protect domestic industries from foreign competition • Tariffs caused prices to rise • How high should tariffs be? • President Cleveland (1884) wanted to lower tariff rates – congress would not support him • In 1888 Cleveland ran for Presidency again against Benjamin Harrison.

47. Regulating Tariffs cont… • Harrison campaign was financed by large contributions from companies that wanted tariffs higher. • Harrison won the presidency • He passed the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 –raised tariffs to their highest level • In 1892, Cleveland ran and was elected president again • Still wanted lower tariffs

48. Regulating Tariffs cont… • President Cleveland supported a bill for lowering the McKinley tariff Act but refused to sign it because it didn’t lower the tariffs enough • The new bill passed with out President Cleveland’s signature – The Wilson-Gorman Tariff • In 1897 McKinley was voted in as President again and again raised the tariffs • The attempt to reduce tariffs had failed but the spirit of reform was not dead