Immigrants and
Urbanization
Chapter 7
Section 1: The New
Immigrants
Why Did The Immigrants
Come Here?
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Between 1870 & 1920,
about 20 million
Europeans immigrated
to the U.S.
1. Escape religious
persecution
2. Improve their
economic situation
(jobs) (Birds of
passage)
3. Experience greater
freedom in the U.S.
4. Escape difficult
conditions (famine,
land shortages – from
rising population)
Ellis Island:
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Ellis Island - NY
Most European
immigrants to the
U.S. arrived in New
York and had to
pass through
immigration station
located on Ellis
Island in New
York Harbor
Immigrants were
carefully health
screened and could
only bring 100lbs
of belongings
Passing Inspection:
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Officials at Ellis
Island decided
whether the
immigrants could
enter the country.
1. Check for
serious health
problems
2. Document
checks
Freedom Tower – La
Torre de la Libertad
What Were the Requirements for
Admission?
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1. Proving they
had never been
convicted of a
felony.
2. Demonstrating
that they were able
to work.
3. Showing that
they had some
money: at least
$25 (1909
standard)
Let’s look at an
example:
Here Are The Exact
Questions Used:
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1.What is your name?
2. Have you ever been to the America
before?
3. Do you have any relatives here? If the
answer was yes, then asked where they
lived.
4. Is there anyone who came to meet you
at Ellis Island?
5. Who paid for your passage?
6. Do you have any money? ( If the
answer was yes then immigrant was told:
Let me see it.)
7. Do you have a job waiting for you in
America?
8. Do you have a criminal record?
Edward Ferro: An Italian
Immigrant:
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“The language was a problem of
course, but it was overcome by the
use of interpreters…It would happen
sometimes that these interpreters –
some of them – were really
softhearted people and hated to see
people being deported, and they
would, at times, help the aliens by
interpreting in such a manner as to
benefit the alien and not the
government.” (I Was Dreaming to Come to
America)
Angel Island:
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Not all immigrants
came through Ellis
Island
Angel Island Immigration
station for the
Asian immigrants
arriving on the
West Coast- San
Francisco.
Inspection process
more difficult than
on Ellis Island.
(filthy conditions,
harsh questioning)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CExKjlPUy
jA
“La Torre de la Libertad”
aka “Freedom Tower”
Immigration Restrictions:
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America started
to be called a
MELTING POT
- Many cultures
& races had
blended
But, many
immigrants
refused to give
up their culture.
The Rise of Nativism:
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Some Americans
didn’t like so many
immigrants living
in the U.S.
NATIVISMpreference for
native-born
Americans.
Nativism
1. Gave rise to
anti-immigrant
groups
2. Led to a demand
for immigration
restrictions.
Anti-Asian Sentiment:
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Chinese immigrants
worked for low wages
– this took jobs from
native born Americans
Labor groups
pressured politicians to
restrict Asian
immigration.
CHINESE
EXCLUSION ACT
1882 - Banned all but
a few Chinese
immigrants
Not lifted until 1943.
SECTION 2: THE
CHALLENGES OF
URBANIZATION:
Urban Opportunities:
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Many immigrants
settled in cities in
the early 1900’s –
work
Cities began to
become
overcrowded
Urbanization the rapid growth of
cities.
Farmers also
moved into the city
– new technology
= less farming jobs
Americanization Movement:
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Our government
wanted to help
immigrants learn
more about the
USA
Americanization
Movement – Was
designed to
assimilate people
of wide-ranging
cultures into the
dominant culture.
Schools taught
them English,
American history,
and government.
Urban Problems:
There became
serious shortages
in housing.
 New types of
housing were
created
1)Row house –
apartment type
homes
2)Tenement –
Multifamily urban
houses often
overcrowded &
unsanitary
 Sanitation was a
problem
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Mass Transit:
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Transportation also
became a huge
issue.
Cities developed
Mass Transit –
transportation
systems designed
to move large
numbers of people
along fixed routes.
More were needed
to keep up with
demand
Urban Problems: Sanitation
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Cities had hard
time supplying safe
drinking water.
People threw
garbage out their
windows.
Horse manure piled
up on the streets
Sewage flowed in
streets.
By 1900, many
cities built sewers
& created
sanitation
departments.
Crime Problems:
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Pickpockets and
thieves
flourished
(stealing to
survive)
NYC police was
relatively small
and didn’t make
much impact on
crime.
Fire Problems:
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The city had limited
supply of water.
Most city apartments
were made of wood
People also used
candles and kerosene
lamps for lighting.
Paid fire departments
were first created in
1853 (Cincinnati)
The automatic fire
sprinkler was also
created in 1874.
The Great Chicago Fire:
1871
Fire burned for 24hrs.
 An estimated 300 people died
 100,000 were left homeless
 More than 3 square miles of the
city center was destroyed.
 Property loss was estimated at
$200 million.
 17,500 buildings were
destroyed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
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cQ9u-qJzmbk
Reformers Help the Poor:
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Social Gospel
movement - Early
reform program
Leaders preached
that people
reached salvation
by helping the poor
They established
Settlement
Houses Community centers
located in slums that
helped & friendship
for poor &
immigrants.
SECTION 3: POLITICS IN
THE GILDED AGE
Political Machines:
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Since cities were so
crowded, the local
government couldn’t
control everything
During late 1800’s,
many cities were run
by a Political
Machine - an
organized group,
headed by a city boss,
that controlled
activities in a city.
Offered services to
voters & businesses in
exchange for political
or financial support.
The Role of the Political Boss:
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What else did the
bosses do:
1. Controlled
access to jobs
2. Built parks,
sewer systems,
and waterworks.
3. Gave money to
hospitals, schools,
and orphanages.
So that…..people
would vote for
them!!
Immigrants and Bosses:
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The immigrants liked
the idea of political
machines and bosses.
Why?
1. Many of the bosses
were immigrants
themselves– they
spoke their language
and battled the same
hardships.
2. They helped the
immigrants with
Naturalization – full
American citizenship.
3. Helped them get
jobs and houses
And in return –
VOTES!!!
Election Fraud and Graft:
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The NY City Courthouse was built using
Graft money
Many Bosses got rich
through GRAFT-the
illegal use of political
influence for personal
gain.
Example: By helping a
person find work on a
construction project for
the city, a political
machine could ask the
worker to bill the city
for more than the
actual cost of materials
and labor.
The worker then
“kicked back” a portion
of the earnings to the
machine.
The Tweed Ring:
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Boss Tweed
(William M. Tweed)
became the head
of Tammany HallNYC’s powerful
Democratic
political machine.
Between 18691871 Boss Tweed
led a group of
people (Tweed
Ring) in defrauding
the city for millions
of dollars.
What Did Tweed Do? – Story
Time!
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The NYC
Courthouse was
being built. The
project cost tax
payers $13 million,
while the actual
cost was only $3
million! The
difference went to
the Tweed Ring. It
is estimated that
the Tweed Ring
stole between $30$200 million
dollars from NYC.
http://www.travelchannel.com/video/the-story-of-boss-tweed
Eventually…They Got Busted!
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In 1871 the ring
was broken.
Tweed was indicted
on 120 counts of
fraud and extortion
and was sentenced
to 12 years in jail.
His sentence got
reduced to 1 year
but he got in
trouble again and
was arrested.
1.
What is the significance of the word LAW on the torn piece of paper?
2.
What affect do you think Nast wanted to have on his audience?
Patronage:
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National politics
were also corrupt –
It’s all about who
you know.
Patronage: giving
of government jobs
to people of the
same party who
had helped a
candidate get
elected.
Civil Service:
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Civil ServiceGovernment
jobs
Reformers
proposed that
civil service jobs
would go to the
most qualified,
regardless of
political views.
President Hayes:
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President
Rutherford B.
Hayes (19th
president)
attempted to
reform civil service
Some members of
Republican party
objected
He decides not to
run for re-election
(no support)
Garfield’s Assassination:
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Stalwarts (a political
faction) opposed
change in patronage
system.
Reformers supported
changing the system
New President James
Garfield (20th
president) attempts to
reform the patronage
system and is
assassinated
Chester A. Arthur
Garfield’s VP Becomes the new
President (21st
president)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6USyilfk6w
Chester A. Arthur in Action:
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Arthur’s first
message to the
Congress was to
pass the
Pendleton Civil
Service Act Created a civil
service commission
to give government
jobs based on
merit, not politics
This caused
politicians to turn
to big businesses
for money