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American Urbanization. Global Migration and Urban Explosion. Immigration from Europe. Two distinct waves of European immigration Before 1880—from northern and western Europe After 1880—from southern and eastern Europe
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American Urbanization Global Migration and Urban Explosion
Immigration from Europe • Two distinct waves of European immigration • Before 1880—from northern and western Europe • After 1880—from southern and eastern Europe • depression in southern Italy, persecution of Jews in eastern Europe, avoidance of Russian conscription
America’s Need for Cheap Labor • Between 1870 and 1900 industrialists drew on rural and migrant people for labor force • 11,000,000 moved into cities • Chicago, for example, grew from 100,000 in 1860 to +1,000,000 in 1890
Electric Street Car • Development of electric street car in 1880s led to urban congestion and suburban sprawl • Social segregation—those who could afford, moved to outskirts, poorest occupied city center
Calls for Immigration Restriction • Many Americans saw newcomers as uneducated, backward, uncouth • “blue-bloods” made unlikely alliance with organized labor to restrict immigration • Ethnic competition between older immigrants
Jacob Riis • How the Other Half Lives, documented the poverty, crowding and disease of New York City • Had America become a plutocracy? The wealthiest 1% owned more than half of the real and personal property in the country.
Knights of Labor • First mass organization of America’s working class • Organized regardless of skill, sex, race, or nationality, became the dominate force in labor during the 1880s • Knights of Labor advocated a workers’ democracy that embraced public ownership of railroads, an income tax, equal pay for women workers, and the abolition of child labor.
AFL rival to Knights of Labor • American Federation of Labor headed by Samuel Gompers • His plan was to organize skilled workers and to use strikes to gain immediate objectives—higher pay and better working conditions
12-Hour Day • Since 1840, labor had sought to end the industry standard12-hour work day, • Supporters set May 1,1886 as the date for a nationwide general strike in support of eight-hour day • All factions of labor movement participated in Chicago on May Day, ‘largest demonstration to date’ • 45,000 workers paraded peaceful down Michigan Ave in support of eight hour work day
Company town • 4,300 acres nine miles south of Chicago • Planned and built by George Pullman after the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 • Family could never own their home • Rents were 10-20 percent higher than nearby communities • Wages slashed five times in 1893, but rents stayed high • Stockholders continued to get 8% dividend
ARU • 90 % of the workers walked off the job • Pullman shut down the factory • Workers appealed to the American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene V. Debs • Beginning on Jun 29, 1894, the membership refused to handle any train that carried Pullman cars • Switchmen across the country would not work with the cars • By July 2, railways from New York to California were paralyzed by work stoppage
Crushing the strike • An injunction against Eugene Debs said he could not speak in public • When he did, he was arrested and put in jail • Later, Debs formed the Socialist Party, and became a candidate for the U.S. Presidency
