Late 1800’s - Early 1900’s
Immigration
Why would anyone
want to come here?
Immigration: why did people
come to America?
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Many immigrants
were small
farmers, and farm
workers.
– These farmers
couldn’t support
their families
– They moved to
America in search
of jobs or any way
to support their
family.
Countries push out many.
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In Russia: if anyone
criticized the government they faced jail or exile
(getting kicked out of the
country)
Russian government
supported Pogroms, or
organized massacres of
the Jews.
The potato famine swept
through Ireland. Many
families came to America
to avoid starvation.
The draw of America
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The thought of freedom
drew many to the U.S.
Many people would send
back stories of finding
riches in the United
States.
“The Streets Are Lined
With Gold”
Jobs also drew people to
the U.S. Industry jobs
were prevelent.
Factory owners sent
agents to Europe and Asia
to hire workers at low
wages.
Ellis Island
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This was the final
hurdle.
All had to pass an
inspection before
they could enter
the U.S.
http://teacher.schol
astic.com/activities
/immigration/tour/s
top8.htm
The voyage
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The trip to the U.S. was
horrific
Ship owners jammed up to
2,000 people in airless
rooms below deck.(cattle)
Diseases spread rapidly
Seasickness was
prevelent
For most Europeans, the
voyage ended in New York
where they saw the statue
of liberty.
Immigration
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Opposition to Immigration
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Nativists come back:
favored native born
americans over
immigrants
Labor unions opposed
immigration because of
fear immigrants would
take lower paying jobs.
Violent riots in cities
organized by unions
Chinese Exclusion Act:
1882 banned Chinese
immigrants for 10 years
Immigration Restriction
League: tried to pass a
law requiring literacy of all
immigrants
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Progressives
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Sought to solve
problems created by
industrial and urban
growth
Many were part of a
growing middle class
(had time and money)
Looked to solve social
problems and
injustices.
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Muckrakers
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Journalists who wrote or
photographed problems
in society
Wanted to “stir the muck”
so people noticed it
Muckrakers
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Jacob Riis
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Took pictures of tenements broken down apartment
buildings
How the Other Half Lives Focused on poor families
living conditions
Jacob Riis’ Photographs
from How the Other Half
Lives
Changes to cities
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Settlement houses:
neighborhood centers in
poor areas. Offered
schooling and rec centers
Addams Hull House:
located in poorest section
of Chicago.
Started first Kindergarten
and public playground in
Chicago.
Staffed by professional.
Served as model for
settlement houses
throughout the country
Muckrakers
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Lewis Hine
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Took photographs of
child labor
Lewis Hine's
Photographs of Workers
and Immigrants
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Triangle Shirtwaist Company
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These problems
come to the
national spotlight
here at the
Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory in NYC
It is here that they
made the fabric
and for many
clothing items
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Every day women
like the ones in
this photo went to
work for 10 - 12
hours a day.
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When they got to
their work room a
manager locked
the door behind
them.
The door would
only be open at
lunch and at
leaving times
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One of the rooms
in this building
caught on fire.
The cloth items
withing this
building caught on
fire and spread
quickly
Many women had
no choice.
 Many women
decided to jump
instead of
attempting to
escape the fire.
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The people and
the media decided
to do something
about this.
Photos like this
enraged people all
over the U.S.
What would you
do?
Unions
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To improve working
conditions workers
formed labor unions.
Knights of Labor:
secret society,
included all workers:
skilled and unskilled.
– Fought for eight hour
workday, equal pay for
men and women, end
child labor
– Used strikes and
Unions cont.
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American Federation
of Labor: Only skilled
workers aloud (harder
to fire)
– Worked for shorter
hours higher wages
– Samuel Gompers was
founding member.
Homestead and Pullman
Strikes
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Homestead: Carnegie
steel refused to deal
with unions and only
individuals caused a
strike. Locked out
unions from factories.
– Private inv., gunfire
deaths due to strike.
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Pullman: RR workers
docked pay. Nation
wide strike. Fed gov’t
sides with RR owners
and forces workers
back
Muckrakers
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Upton Sinclair
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Wrote a novel called
The Jungle
Exposed what
conditions were like in
meat packing industry
Grossed people out
Muckrakers
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Ida Tarbell
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Wrote articles attacking
Rockfeller’s Standard Oil
Company
Complained of ruthless
business tactics
“Very often people who admit facts,
who are willing to see that Mr.
Rockefeller has employed force and
fraud to secure his ends, justify him by
declaring, ‘it’s business’. That is, ‘it’s
business’ has come to be a legitimate
excuse for hard dealing, sly tricks, and
special
privileges.”
- Ida Tarbell,
The History of the Standard Oil
Company
Corrupt City officials
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Political Machines: used
legal and illegal methods
to get people elected.
– Bribe voters, pay vote
counters
Tammany Hall, political
machine ran NYC
Bosses traded favors for
votes. City jobs,
neighborhood
improvements.
William Tweed stole 200
million from NYC
Civil Service Commission
works to fix this by forcing
government employees to
take an exam for jobs
Progressive Presidents
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Theodore Roosevelt
Square Deal: The
interests of
businesspeople,
workers and
consumers should be
balanced.
Known as the trust
buster. Made it a top
priority to get rid of
bad trusts.
Wanted to encourage
competition
Also fought for
conservation of
natural resources.
William Howard Taft
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Worked to protect
businesses.
Raised taxes to
protect trusts.
Sold public lands
to businesses.
Got stuck in
presidential bath
tub.
Woodrow Wilson
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Won because
Roosevelt ran against
Taft and split the party
Lowered taxes,
pushed for the
Clayton AntiTrust Act.
Made The Sherman
Antitrust Act and the
Federal Trade
Commission stronger.
Legislation to fix problems
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Meat inspection Act:
Forced meat packing
plants to open doors to
inspectors
Pure Food and Drug Act:
put ingredients on food
and medicines
16th Amendment: Income
Tax
17th Amendment: Direct
Election of Senators
18th Prohibition of Sale of
alcohol
19th: Women’s right to
vote
Legislation Continued
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Initiative: allows
voters to propose a
new law by getting
signatures on a
petition. Voted on in
next election
Referendum: allows
voters to approve or
disapprove a law that
has already been
proposed by state or
local gov’ts.
Recall: Voters can
demand a special
vote to remove an
elected official.
Labor Reform
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Most Child labor reform
failed during Progressive
Era
– 2 laws passed deemed
unconstitutional by
Sup court
– Many groups formed to
stop child labor
1898 Supreme Court ruled
that States could limit the
hours of workers in
dangerous jobs.
Muller v. Oregon: Sup
Court upheld laws limiting
the hours of women in
workforce. Big win for
Progressives.
Women’s Suffrage
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Gaining the Women’s
right to vote.
Starts with the
Temperance
movement: banning
the sale of alcohol
Led by Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, Susan
B. Anthony, and
Lucrecia Mott.
Formed the National
Women’s Party
(NWP)
19th Amendment:
gave women right to
vote.
African Americans in the
Progressive Era
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Booker T. Washington
encouraged African
Americans to improve
their own situation
instead of fighting
segregation.
Founded Tuskegee
Institute for African
Americans.
W.E.B Dubois:
disagreed with
Washington. Said to
fight discrimination
head on. Founded
the NAACP.