Gilded Age Urbanization and Immigration

1. Gilded Age Urbanization and Immigration

2. Another characteristic of the Gilded Age was explosive growth in immigration and in the size of America’s urban centers.

3. Immigrants from around the world poured into America throughout the Gilded Age, initially with little to no restriction.

4. Immigration was nothing knew to America, which was in essence an nation created by immigrants. What WAS different in the Gilded Age is WHERE the immigrants were coming from.

5. Immigrants from Europe Old New New New

6. This immigrant population largely settled in America’s cities. Why?

7. Immigrants weren’t the only ones moving to cities. As we have suggested, farmers found it increasingly difficult to compete with ever expanding large scale farms driven by technology.

8. This was also true for African-American sharecroppers in the South. Increasing numbers of African-Americans moved to northern cities in search of industrial jobs.

9. While they did indeed find employment, they also found racism, persecution, and discrimination as well.

10. This mass movement of people resulted in phenomenal urban growth.

11. As urban population exploded, cities found themselves beset by problems: - Poor water - Garbage - Crime - Fire - Air pollution

12. While many of those problems had been dealt with by 1900, the longest lasting problem was the existence of slum neighborhoods.

13. Most factory workers earned so little that they could barely afford the necessities of life. (Food, clothing, shelter, etc…)

14. As a result, immigrant, and working class Americans found shelter wherever they could. This often meant living in poorly constructed, cheap, crowded, and dirty apartments jammed together in slum neighborhoods.

15. This often meant living in poorly constructed, cheap, crowded, and dirty tenement apartments jammed together in slum neighborhoods.

24. Life for the working class in Gilded Age America was less than ideal both at work and at home.

25. As conditions for the working class remained grim, urban reformers called on concerned citizens begin to push for change.

26. The most successful effort was through the settlement house movement.

27. Reformers established community centers, known as settlement houses, in the worst neighborhoods of America’s cities.

28. These settlement houses provided a number of necessary services to the working poor: - Basic education - Childcare - Social services - Healthcare

29. Perhaps the most influential person behind settlement house reform was Jane Addams. Her Hull House, in Chicago, provided a model for other urban reformers. She also represented the increasing role women played in the reform movement.

30. Some of this desire for reform was inspired by the teachings of Christianity.

31. Social Gospel Movement - Built on the teachings of the New Testament. - “Love thy neighbor” / Golden Rule / Jesus - It was the “duty” of good Christians to help those in need.

32. Members of the Americanization movement attempted to help immigrants specifically.

33. They believed that the best way to help immigrants was to help them assimilate into American culture and lifestyle.

34. Thus, they created opportunities for immigrants to learn English, U.S. history, and U.S. government.

35. The Americanization movement was largely unsuccessful as immigrants continued to settle in ethnic communities. Why would they do so?

36. By the 1890’s, an increasing number of Americans began to push back against the flood of immigrants pouring into the nation.

37. Nativists made several basic arguments. - Immigrants threatened the “American way of life.” - They took jobs from “good Americans.” - Most immigrants were not Protestant and threatened America’s religious heritage. - The brought crime, disease, anarchy and socialism with them.

38. Just as they had in the 1840’s, nativists began to organize to spread their message and exert pressure on the government. - Most prominent was the Immigration Restriction League. - Founded by Prescott Warren. - Used the theory of Social Darwinism to support their anti-immigrant beliefs.

39. Immigrants from places in Northern and Western Europe were acceptable as they possessed superior traits, were largely Protestant, and would use their talents to better America.

40. Immigrants from places in Southern and Eastern Europe, and Asia, were inferior, uneducated, and lazy people who would become a burden to the American public.

42. Bowing to mounting pressure, the government began to act.

43. Hostility had been growing about the number of Chinese immigrants allowed into America, especially in the state of California.

44. Having initially found success working on the railroad, thousands of Chinese immigrants became successful farmers and business owners across the west coast.

45. American farmers and businessmen did not like this competition and asked the government to prohibit allowing any more Chinese immigrants into America.

46. To that end, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. This law banned all immigration from China except for students, teachers, businessmen, tourists, and government officials.

47. Those Chinese who were allowed in had to carry proof of their identity with them at all times.

48. In 1897, Congress passed a law requiring all immigrants to take and pass a literacy test. - Applied to any immigrant over the age of 16. - Had to prove they could read at least 40 words in any language.

49. The bill was vetoed by President Cleveland, but eventually became law in 1917.

50. The desire for immigration restriction would eventually reach its climax in the 1920’s.