Evaluate the influence of immigration and rapid industrialization on urban life.

1. Evaluate the influence of immigration and rapid industrialization on urban life. NCSCOS 5.01AP USH Unit 16

2. Macro Concepts Micro Concepts Conflict-problem or issue that is controversial and can cause problems without compromise. Change-the transformation of a person, place or thing. Innovation-improvement and advancement in the way something is done. Reform-The method of fixing, improving and correcting [change for the better]. Industrialization-the process of people producing things using mass production and machinery. Immigration-the process of mass entrance into a new country to live permanently. Urbanization-the process of living in high population, high density cities.  Nativism-political movement led by native born white citizens who were unfriendly to non-English speaking immigrants. Cultural pluralism-concept that multiple culture co-exist [live peacefully near each other] in the same country. Melting pot-the blending and mixing of foreign cultures in order into one common culture. Culture shock-the feeling of surprise and awe connected to living in a new and strange place that is different from where you came from.

3. Coming to America Millions of newcomers to the United states left their countries of birth for better lives. From the 1880s to the 1920s immigrants from Western and Eastern Europe came in huge numbers to the U.S. through the Ellis Island immigrant transfer station in New York Harbor. Asian immigrants arrived through the Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, California. Immigrants’ criminal and health records were checked in reference to their countries of origin. Immigrants deemed too sick or had deadly diseases were sent back to their home countries or quarantined [isolated] until they were well enough to join the rest of the population.

4. Immigrant Labor and Work Many of the new immigrants from Western and Eastern Europe were from the peasant classes [uneducated, unskilled] and often encountered discrimination and a language barrier. Immigrant children often assimilated quickly but often spoke broken English. Public school helped immigrant children with adjustment and assimilation. Laborers often did piece work for local businesses manufacturing textiles sewing [most often women and children]. Each item or “piece” was paid a price. Women also worked outside the home in sweatshops in unsafe conditions for very long hours at low wages.

5. Populations of major U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago and Philadelphia doubled from about 40 million in 1870 to about 80 million by 1900. Big cities were often very crowded [densely populated]. Streets were filled with vendors and domestic animals [chickens, horses, pigs] causing filthy and unsanitary conditions. High crime was rampant. Urbanization of the United States concentrated large populations of people into cities. New immigrants such as Western Europeans [Italians and Jews] were drawn by the lure of industrial type jobs in factories.

6. New Immigrants vs. Old Immigrants Old immigrants-From the 1600s to early 1800s most of the people who arrived as immigrants to the United States were from English speaking countries such as England, Scotland and Ireland. Many Germans and French came to the U.S. as well. The dominant religion was Protestantism. New immigrants from the mid-1800s to early 1900s did not speak English and were mostly Catholic and Jewish. The differences between the two groups caused resentment and conflict. The Old immigrants wanted to preserve their language and culture and preached nativism [favoring and maintaining original America].

7. Jane Addams and Settlement Houses Hull House was a community center in Chicago that was created to help newly arrived immigrants, especially women, transition to the New World. Helped new comers cope with big city life and to learn English. Provided cultural activities such as block parties, rent parties and street festivals to raise money for the center and needy families. Jane Addams provided free simple health care and job training for women. Addams also advocated against child labor and sweat shops.

8. Living conditions of city dwellers Cramped living conditions and poor sanitation facilities were common. Dumbbell tenements were designed to maximize space by using a vertical design [multiple floors] with long, narrow construction. Communal bathrooms often used by multiple families increased the chance of disease transfer and also created a lack of privacy for residents. Early tenements also had poor ventilation [causing respiratory ailments] and poor natural lighting due to a lack of windows throughout [one room had window] the apartments. Prior to introduction of fire escapes deaths due to fire were common.

9. Transportation Electric trolleys were used to transport people through city streets on top of metal tracks similar to those used by railroads. Mass transit lines were expanded in major cities such as Chicago and New York [powered by overhead electric power lines]. Electric trolleys were eventually replaced by underground subways at the turn of the 20th century. Public transportation allowed easy and cheap transportation to work for poor citizens.

10. Inventions and Innovations Elevators-created to transport people vertically within multi-story buildings in major cities such as Chicago and New York. Telephones-patented by Alexander Graham Bell it gave people the ability to communicate inexpensively over long distances. Typewriters-gave people ability to write text in a faster and more efficient manner. Newspaper and magazine writers, as well as book authors, used these machines to share the written word.

11. Thomas Edison The most influential and famous of all American inventors. He patented hundreds of inventions so he could receive payments. His most famous inventions were the light bulb, phonograph and movie recorder. His inventions [especially the light bulb] improved the quality of life for Americans.

12. Jacob Riis and How the Other Half Lives Jacob Riis was an immigrant from Denmark. He was a photo-journalist [photographer who told stories with photos] for New York City newspapers. He published thousands of photos showing how immigrants lived in squalor [horrible poverty], unsafe and unsanitary conditions. In 1890 he published a collection of his photos titled How the Other Half Lives showing how the poorest of the urban poor lived.

13. Spectator sports Bare-knuckled Irish-American brawlers such as John L. Sullivan and “Gentleman Jim” Corbett fought as prize fighters during the mid-late 1800s. In 1892 the two pugilists [boxers] fought before more than 10,000 spectators in New Orleans. Corbett defeated Sullivan handing the legendary Irish boxer his first and only loss. Championship boxing matches were enormously popular in the early 1900s.

14. Spectator sports Team sports became wildly popular with the advent of “basket ball” by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 at Springfield, Massachusetts and baseball by Alexander Cartwright in 1845 at Hoboken, New Jersey. The popularity of the two sports sprang from the expansion of leisure time among young American men. The desire to be competitive and physically fit yet group oriented greatly enhanced the appeal of these sports. The two “games” remain highly regarded to this day.

15. Chinese Exclusion Act Because Chinese workers were willing to work for extremely low wages [lower than other immigrants] lots of resentment was directed towards them. Violent attacks on Chinese workers by white immigrants and poor whites took place in San Francisco and other cities The U.S. Federal Government passed a law called the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 that banned Chinese immigration.

16. Amusement Parks Entrepreneurs [business owners] created parks with exciting attractions such as rides and strange acts to attract people to pay admission fees. The most famous early American amusement park was Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. City residents could escape from city life for a time. The park contained rides, restaurants, hotels, circus acts, freak shows, beach and boardwalk [wooden road overlooking the seashore].

17. Frederick Law Olmstead City life was stressful because of overcrowding, filth and crime. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead was hired to design public parks in large cities such as New York, Detroit and Chicago. The purpose of public parks was to provide open spaces for recreation, exercise and escape from the stress of city life. New York City’s Central Park and Prospect Park were designed by Olmstead.

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