Changes in American Life (1880-1914)

1. Changes in American Life(1880-1914) Mr. LeasureAmerican HistoryHarrison Career Center Fall 2013

2. Section 3The New Immigrants Millions of immigrants – mostly from southern and eastern Europe – moved to the United States. The new immigrants had an important role in shaping American culture in the 20th century.

3. Last Week… • We explained how industrialization changed city life in the United States. • We learned how technology and the streetcar altered city life. • We described urban living conditions and how reformers tried to improve them. • We analyzed how political machines influenced city governments.

4. This Week… • We will describe the changes in immigration patterns in the late 1800s. • We will understand where and how immigrants settled and the jobs they took. • We will explain the process of assimilation and efforts to restrict immigration.

5. The New Immigrants

6. The New Immigrants • Until the 1890’s, most immigrants to the U.S. had come from Northern and Western Europe. • But after the 1900, fewer northern Europeans came to the U.S. and more southern and eastern Europeans did come to the U.S. • This later group of immigrants came to be known as the new immigrants.

7. The New Immigrants • Southern Italy sent large number of immigrants. Many Jews from eastern Europe and Slavic peoples, such as Poles and Russians, also immigrated.

8. The New Immigrants • Ellis Island was the first stop for most immigrants from Europe.

9. The New Immigrants • There, they were processed before they could enter the United States. • First, they had to pass a physical examination. Those with serious health problems or disease were sent home. • Next they were asked a series of questions: Name? Occupation? Now much money do you have?

10. The New Immigrants • While European immigrants passed through Ellis Island on the east coast, Asians landed at Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. • In Angel Island’s filthy buildings, more Chinese immigrants were held for several weeks.

11. The New Immigrants

12. The New Immigrants • Many Mexican immigrants entered the United States through Texas.

13. Settling in America Little China, NYC Little Italy, NYC

14. Settling in America • Immigrants settled where they could find jobs. Many found work in American factories. • The new immigrants contributed to the growth of cities such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. • About half of the new immigrants settled in four industrial states: Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

15. Settling in America • Once in America, newer immigrants looked for people from the same village in the old country to help them find jobs and housing. • People with similar ethnic backgrounds often moved to the same neighborhoods. • As a result, ethnic neighborhoods with ethnic sounding names like “Little Italy” and “Chinatown” became common in American cities.

16. Settling in America • The immigrants living in these communities pooled money to build places of worship for their native neighborhoods and publish newspapers in their native languages. • They commonly supported political machines, often led by politicians who came from their nation of origin. These politicians would help the new immigrants find jobs in the U.S.

17. Immigrants Take Tough Jobs

18. Immigrants Take Tough Jobs • Immigrants took whatever jobs they could get. Many immigrants worked in northern factories. • The factories in the north offered low wages, long hours, and unsafe conditions. • Many European immigrants who had settled in the U.S. earend about $10 a week.

19. Immigrants Take Tough Jobs • Asian immigrants settled in the west and worked mostly on the railroads. Asians who did not work on the railroads opened restaurants and stores throughout the west. • Japanese immigrants first came to Hawaii in 1885 to work on sugar plantations and others settled on the mainland, where they fished, farmed, and worked in mines.

20. Immigrants Take Tough Jobs • Immigrants from Mexico came to the Southwest. • Growers and ranchers in the California and Texas used the cheap labor the Mexican immigrants offered. • The copper mines in Arizona relied heavily on Mexican labor too.

21. Becoming Americans

22. Becoming Americans • Some Americans have described the U.S. as a melting pot, or a place where cultures blend. • The new immigrants blended into American society as earlier immigrants had. • This process of blending into society is called assimilation.

23. Becoming Americans • Most new immigrants were eager to assimilate. To do so, they studied English and how to be American citizens. • Many workers started to assimilate at work. Employers and labor unions bother tried to “Americanize” immigrant workers by offering citizenship courses and English classes.

24. Becoming Americans • Despite their efforts to assimilate, immigrants faced prejudice from native-born Americans. • Prejudices led some native-born Americans to reduce the number of new immigrants coming to America.

25. Restrictions on Immigration

26. Restrictions on Immigration • Most native-born immigrants also feared they would have to compete with immigrants for jobs. • Immigrants were desperate for jobs and would often take work for lower wages in worse conditions than other Americans.

27. Restrictions on Immigration • Americans feared there would not be enough jobs for everyone. • In 1882, Congress started to pass laws to restrict immigration into the U.S.

28. Restrictions on Immigration • The Congress placed new taxes on immigrants and banned specific groups, such as beggars and individuals with diseases. • Nonwhites faced deeper prejudice than European immigrants, and Asians faced some of the worst.

29. Restrictions on Immigration • In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. • It banned Chinese immigration for 10 years.

30. Section 4Society and Mass Culture Industrialization and new technologies created a mass culture in the United States. Modern American mass culture had its beginnings during this period.

31. Education and Publishing Grow • Immigration caused enough growth in American schools. • To teach citizenship and English to immigrants, new city and state laws required children to attend school. • Between 1880 and 1920, the number of children attending school more than doubled.

32. Education and Publishing Grow • The growth of education increased American literacy. • Reading became more popular. • Americans read large numbers of novels and more news papers.

33. Education and Publishing Grow • Tough competition pushed newspaper publishers to try all sorts of gimmicks to outsell their rivals. • For example, Joseph Pulitzer, owner of the New York World, and William Hearst, owner of the New York Morning Journal, were fierce competitors.

34. Education and Publishing Grow • They filled the pages of their papers with spectacular stories. They also added special features, such as comics and sports.

35. Modern Advertising and New Products • Newspapers had a wide influence on American life, including the rise of modern advertising.

36. Modern Advertising and New Products • Advertisers used images of celebrities in newspapers and magazines to tempt people to buy products. Some ads even played on peoples fears. • Advertising was effective in turning brand names into household words.

37. Modern Advertising and New Products • Advertisements also helped people learn about new products. • One of the places people could buy these – and many other – goods was in department stores. • Department stores sold everything from clothing to furniture to hardware.

38. Modern Advertising and New Products • People who did not live near a department store could order goods through the mail. Companies like Montgomery Ward and Sears Roebuck sent catalogs to customers. • These mail-order catalogs included pictures and descriptions of merchandise. People could place their orders by mail, and the company would deliver the product.

39. Modern Advertising and New Products • In 1896, the post office made it easier for people to receive goods through the mail by establishing a new deliverer system. • Rural free delivery brought packages directly to homes in rural areas. Now people in these cities could get the same goods as people in the cities.

40. Urban Parks and World’s Fairs • Advertising and shopping were not the only daily activities changing at this time. • Leisure, or free time, activities also changed. • In cities, new parks provided people with entertainment.

41. Urban Parks and World’s Fairs • The increasing number of people working in factories and offices liked going to parks to get some sunshine and fresh air. • Parks helped bring grass and trees back into city landscapes.

42. Urban Parks and World’s Fairs • Central Park in New York City is the nations best-known urban park.

43. Urban Parks and World’s Fairs • Opened in 1876, Central Park looked like the country. Trees and shrubs dotted its gently rolling landscape. • Winding walkways let city dwellers imagine they were strolling in the woods. • People could also ride bicycles and play sports in the parks.

44. Urban Parks and World’s Fairs • In addition to urban parks, amusement parks provided a place people could go for fun. • The most famous amusement park was Coney Island in New York City.

45. Urban Parks and World’s Fairs • Completed in 1904, Coney Island had shops, food vendors, and exciting rides like roller coasters.

46. Urban Parks and World’s Fairs • World Fairs provided another wildly popular form of entertainment for Americans. • Between 1876 and 1916, several U.S. cities hosted world’s fairs. • The fairs were designed to show off American technology. • Millions of Americans attended these fairs.

47. Spectator Sports • During this time, spectator sports also became popular entertainment. • Baseball, football, boxing, and many other sports drew thousands of people to fields and gyms around the country.

48. Spectator Sports • Baseball was the most popular sport. Summer games drew enthusiastic fans.

49. Spectator Sports • By the 1890s, baseball had standardized rules and published schedules of games. • Racial discrimination kept African-American baseball players of of baseballs American League and National League.

50. Spectator Sports • In order to compete, African-Americans formed their own teams in the Negro American League and the Negro National League.