Ch. 8; Politics, Immigration,
and Urban Life: 1870-1915
Section 1: Politics in the Gilded Age
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This era of politics is referred to as the “Gilded Age”.
Coined by Mark Twain, the term states that the era
was “covered with a thin layer of gold,” suggesting
that a thin, glittering layer of prosperity covered the
poverty and corruption of greater society.
Laissez-faire policies
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During Late 1800s, businesses operated largely
without government regulation.
Laissez-faire: means “allow to be” in French.
Most Americans believed in laissez-faire as a
theory, but businesses became increasingly
reliant on government benefits such as tariffs
and subsidies.
Credit Mobilier Scandal
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The Federal Government’s financial support of the
transcontinental railroad brought corruption.
Credit Mobilier charged the government far beyond the value of
work being done.
It was later discovered that Credit Mobilier bribed congressmen
by offering them cheap stock shares.
Opposing Political Parties
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Republicans during this era were
mostly wealthier, northeastern
industrialists, bankers and eastern
farmers.
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Supported gold standard, tight money
supply, limited immigration, high tariffs.
Democrats were mostly those less
privileged: urban immigrants, western
farmers, and laborers.
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Supported increased money supply
backed by silver, lower tariffs, less
government aid to big business.
Spoils System
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During this era, elected officials could appoint
friends and supporters, regardless of their
qualifications.
This caused a system of bribery, dishonesty, and
a government full of unqualified politicians.
Dishonest appointees often used their jobs for
personal profit by favoring their own business
ventures with financing or legislation.
Hayes fights spoils system
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Rutherford B. Hayes, elected
president in 1877, tried to clean
up the spoils system.
Appointed qualified
independents to Cabinet posts
and fired old, unneeded
employees.
This “house cleaning” of
government made Hayes
unpopular even among his own
party, the Republicans.
Garfield’s assassination
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James A. Garfield was elected president in 1880.
In 1881 he was assassinated by a lawyer named Charles
Guiteau.
It was discovered that Guiteau had expected a job from
Garfield, but didn’t receive one.
Pendleton Civil Service Act
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Vice President, Chester Arthur, became
president after Garfield’s death and immediately
worked to reform the spoils system.
Arthur passed Pendleton Civil Service Act in
1883.
Act created Civil Service Commission that
classified government jobs and tested applicants’
fitness for them.
Grover Cleveland
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Grover Cleveland, a
democrat from New
York, won the 1884
election.
He became the first
Democratic president
since 1856.
Regulating Railroads:
Munn v. Illinois
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Complaints against railroads:
 Overcharging customers
 Offering rebates or refunds to favored customers
 Not publicizing rates
In 1877, in Munn v. Illinois, the Supreme Court allowed states to regulate
certain businesses, including railroads, within their borders.
The act did not allow regulation for traffic that crossed state boundaries.
Interstate Commerce Act
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Regulated railroad traffic that
traveled across state borders.
Required …
 That rates be set in
proportion to the distance
traveled.
 That rates be made public
 Outlawed railroad
companies from giving
special rates to powerful
customers.
1888 Election
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Cleveland ran against Republican Benjamin Harrison.
Primary issue revolved around tariffs.
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Cleveland proposed a slight reduction in tariffs.
Harrison wanted an increase in tariffs.
Harrison’s position won him the support of big business and the
presidency.
Benjamin Harrison
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Harrison, thought to be a fiscal conservative, ended
up spending public money extensively, angering
many and Grover Cleveland took back the presidency
in 1892.
Cleveland’s Second Term
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Grover Cleveland’s second term was tainted by a financial
panic and depression beginning in 1893.
People came to believe that the federal government should do
more for struggling citizens.
Angered farmers and unions by
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Repealing the Sherman Silver Purchase Act
Sending federal troops to break up the Pullman Strike.
1896 Election
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Cleveland was not nominated by the democrats for another
term.
Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan, a populist and
champion of the lower, working-class.
Bryan lost to Republican William McKinley
McKinley was shot in Buffalo, NY by a mentally ill anarchist in
1901, dying within days.
Section 2: Immigration
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In 1865 the population of the US was 31.5 million.
Between 1865 and 1920, close to 30 million people entered the
country, doubling the population.
Immigrants came for various “push” factors including crop
failures, shortages of land and jobs, rising taxes, and famine.
The US was viewed as an opportunity for a better life.
Crossing the Ocean
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In the late 1800s, steam-powered
ships could cross the Atlantic in
two to three weeks. By 1900, the
crossing took just one week.
Most immigrants traveled in
steerage, the large open area
beneath the ship’s deck. Tickets
were cheaper but steerage offered
limited toilet facilities, no privacy,
and poor food.
Traveling across the Pacific took
much longer.
Arriving- who came?
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About one third of immigrants were “birds of passage”. Usually
young, single men, they worked for several years and then
returned home.
It is estimated that 10 million immigrants arrived between 1865
and 1890. Most coming from Northwestern and Central Europe.
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2.8 million from Germany
1.8 million from Great Britain (England)
1.4 million from Ireland
Who came?
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The immigrant population shifted after
1890, more immigrants came from
southern and eastern Europe and the
Middle East. (see graph pg. 299)
 10 million Italians, Greeks, Slavs,
Jews, and Armenians.
 3.8 million came from Italy.
 3 million from Russia, primarily
Jews.
Asians often entered through San
Francisco.
70% of all immigrants entered through
New York City, called the “Golden
Door”.
Physical Exams
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In 1892, the government required all new immigrants to
undergo a physical examination.
Those found to have a contagious disease such as TB faced
quarantine, isolation to prevent disease spread, or even
deportation.
Serious disease or the eye disease, trachoma, was an automatic
deportation.
Settling
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Immigrants often settled in communities formed by previous
settlers from their homelands. (thus Little Italy, Chinatown,
etc.)
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Many stayed in NYC and Boston, some went inland to Detroit, Cleveland, or
Chicago, a growing port to the west.
Only 2% moved south.
Eager for work, newcomers were often taken advantage of by
employers.
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Women made less: female seamstresses did the same job as men,
working 14 hours a day, 6 days a week, but earned only half as much as
men.
Ghettos
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A ghetto is a neighborhood dominated by one ethnic or racial group.
Often sprang up naturally from people of common heritage wanting to live
near one another.
Often impoverished and had poor living conditions.
Restrictive Covenants- agreements among homeowners not to sell real
estate to certain groups of people.
Chinese Immigration
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A quarter of a million
Chinese were recruited to
help build the
transcontinental railroad.
As these Chinese settled
down, they were heavily
discriminated against.
Accepted low wages,
affecting the rates of pay of
all workers. Unions thought
that increased numbers of
Chinese in California would
lower working wages.
Others claimed Asians were
un-American, physically and
mentally inferior to white
Americans.
Chinese Exclusion Act
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In response to union demands and national pressure,
Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882.
The act prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the
country.
Japanese Immigration
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Many Japanese settled in the Los
Angeles area.
Often involved in private businesses,
Japanese were not as discriminated as
Chinese, but still dealt with racism and
prejudice.
San Francisco’s school board ruled that
all Asian students should attend
separate schools in 1906.
This upset the Japanese government so
US President Teddy Roosevelt
proposed a Gentlemen’s Agreement, an
informal, unofficial agreement, under
which San Francisco ended its school
policy if Japan would stop issuing
passports to laborers.
Mexican Immigration
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Increased irrigation of
southwestern lands created
more farming opportunities
in southwestern US.
Employers hired Mexican
laborers who also took
difficult jobs for low wages.
The 1910 Mexican
Revolution and Civil War
also acted as a push factor
for immigration.
Mexican Immigration Today
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Mexican Immigration is a
pertinent current issue.
There are between 10-20
million undocumented
immigrants in America today,
a majority of which are
Mexicans.
Recent Mexican immigrants,
just as in the past, tend to do
difficult jobs for little pay.
Mexican Immigration Today
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Border control is a major current topic of legislation.
A series of walls are currently being built between the US and
Mexico to keep new immigrants out.
A recent, extremely controversial law passed in Arizona adds
very strict measurements and requirements on all aliens, which
critics believe encourages racial profiling.
Section 3: City Challenges
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Immigration led to a population explosion in US
cities, bringing many challenges.
Expanding Cities
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Of the millions of immigrants, almost all settled in cities.
Between 1880 and 1920, 11 million Americans moved from
farms to cities.
Many African Americans also migrated from the South to cities,
both nearby and in the north.
Rural to Urban Migration in US
City Growth
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New Creations: skyscrapers, subways, smog, slums, etc.
Early cities were small in size and people commuted by walking.
With the introduction of horse-drawn carriages, and then later
elevated trains, wealthier people could live out of town and
commute in, giving birth to the suburbs.
Subways & Skyscrapers
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Subway trains first appeared
in Boston in 1897.
Cable cars were introduced in
San Francisco in 1873,
allowing transportation in
steep hills.
The Bessemer Process and
the invention of the elevator
opened the door for high
rising “skyscrapers”.
Conditions in the Slums
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To meet a growing population, landlords built tenements, lowcost apartment buildings designed to pack as many people into
them as possible.
Hundreds of people would fill a neighborhood/area designed
for only a few families.
Concerns
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Overpopulation
Open sewer systems
Poor hygiene raised serious concerns about the spread of disease.
With the closeness of the tenements, fires were a constant
danger.
The Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 burned 18,000 buildings and left
100,000 homeless. Property damage was 200 million, 2 billion today.
Dumbbell Tenements
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In 1879, new legislation required an outside window for every
room, encouraging ventilation and lighting.
Architects responded by designing dumbbell tenements, named
for their shape.
Met the legislations criteria but interior windows faced small, dirty
“courtyards” between houses.
Dumbbell Tenements
Conditions
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Scientists linked diseases like cholera and typhoid to
contaminated drinking water.
Fearing water-caused epidemics, Boston, Cincinnati, and New
York built reservoirs to collect clean water far from the city and
be filtered before use.
How the Other Half Lives
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Jacob Riis wrote a book exposing the nation to the
impoverished difficulties of tenement life.
“Today three-fourths of (New York’s) people live in tenements… Nothing is left but to
make the best of a bad bargain.” –Jacob Riis
Political Divisions
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Due to the rapid change, growth, and diversity of big cities like
NYC, there was constant political tension and governing issues.
Competition for political power in cities was fierce. Opposing
groups included…
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Middle and upper class natives
New immigrants
Migrants from the countryside
Different ethnicities within the recent immigrants
Political Bosses
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Out of the confusion and clashing
interests rose unofficial political
organizations known as political
machines, run by a single,
powerful “boss.”
Sometimes bosses ran for office,
but often would handpick others
to run for them, and then help
that leader win.
Bosses and political machines
often operated with corruption,
exchanging favors and only
looking out for their own interests
and the interests of their
constituents.
“Boss” Tweed
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William Marcy Tweed was the
most notorious of such bosses.
Powerful and influential, Tweed
controlled Tammany Hall, the
club that ran NYC’s Democratic
Party.
With access to the city treasury,
Tweed and his friends
fraudulently padded money to
themselves through construction
projects and fake expenses.
Thomas Nast
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Thomas Nast, a German
immigrant, helped bring Tweed
down by exposing his methods
to the public.
Nast’s cartoons depicted
Tweed as a thief and a
manipulative dictator.
Tweed eventually died in jail
after being convicted in 1873.
Section 4: Ideas for Reform
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The challenges and problems caused by the rapid
growth and change of cities prompted many different
movements aimed at reforming society.
Helping the Needy
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The expanding gap between rich and poor
prompted new charities and a shifting
philosophy toward social responsibility and
philanthropy.
The Charity Organization Movement
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In 1882, the New York Charity Organization
Society (COS) was founded.
Tried to make charity a scientific practice by
keeping detailed records of those who received
help.
Detailed files allowed the COS to decide who
was worthy of help, and who was not. This
notion at times led to unkind treatment of the
needy.
The Social Gospel
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Attempted to apply Jesus’ teachings directly to
society’s social issues.
Focused on gospel ideals such as charity and
justice.
Rather than blaming immigrants for drinking,
gambling, etc., the social gospel movement
sought to fix the impoverished environments
that led people into such lifestyles.
In His Steps
by Charles M. Sheldon
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Foundational to the Social Gospel Movement.
“What would Jesus Do?”
39th best selling book of all times.
In His Steps
What would Jesus Do?
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A radical question…
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The modern “WWJD” bracelet turned the idea
into a commercialized cliché, but the question is
fundamentally radical, as demonstrated in the
book…
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Give up all earthly possessions to those in need?
Sacrifice one’s own needs or desires for the needs and
desires of others?
Love and forgive your enemies, do good to those who
persecute you?
Today
The Settlement Movement
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Young, educated members of the social gospel
movement decided to settle into houses within poor
neighborhoods.
Designed to act as community centers and offer social
services to the poor.
Hull House
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In 1889, Jane Addams bought the rundown Charles Hull mansion in
Chicago.
Repaired and turned into settlement
house.
Opened their doors to neighbors,
many of which were immigrants.
Offered…
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Classes
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Child-care
Playgrounds & clubs
Summer camps for boys and girls
Offices to help people find jobs
Health-care clinics.
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Settlement Homes
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By 1910 there were more than 400 settlement
houses in the US.
Most were supported by donations and run by
volunteers.
Sociology
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The discussion of human problems and interactions
created a new field of study: sociology.
Sociology: the study of how people interact with one
another in a society.
Sociologists study societies through data and
measurement, like biologists to biology.
Nativism
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Anti-immigrant, anti-foreign bias became known as nativism,
the favoring of native-born Americans.
The American Protective Association, a nativist group founded
in 1887, targeted all immigrants alike, as well as Catholics.
Prohibition
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The late 1800s saw a revival of the temperance
movement, an organized campaign to eliminate alcohol
consumption.
Groups opposed drinking on the grounds that it led to
personal tragedies and society’s moral decay.
Groups supported prohibition, a ban on the
manufacture and sale of all alcoholic beverages.
Prohibition
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Prohibitionists did not
experience much early success.
By 1890, only three states had
gone completely “dry,” Maine,
Kansas, and North Dakota.
The movement gained
momentum over time, however,
and became more prominent in
the early 1900s.
Purity Crusaders
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As cities grew, so did illegal and immoral
activity such as drugs, gambling, and
prostitution.
“Purity crusaders” tried to rid forms of vice
(immoral or corrupt behavior) from their
communities.
In 1873, Anthony Comstock founded the
New York Society for the Suppression of
Vice, which won passage of a law that
forbid the sending of obscene materials
through US mail.