Immigration & Urbanization PDF

14 IMMIGRATION & URBANIZATION immigration and Urbanization 14 Old Immigrants and “New” Immigrants Were mainly Protestants from Northern and Western Europe Old Immigrants C...

14 IMMIGRATION & URBANIZATION immigration and Urbanization 14 Old Immigrants and “New” Immigrants Were mainly Protestants from Northern and Western Europe Old Immigrants Came as families to settle on farms with (pre-1870s) family members or friends Had money, a skill or trade, or an education Were mainly Catholics or Jews from Southern and Eastern Europe “New” Immigrants Sometimes came alone, usually to settle (post-1870s) in cities Were often poor and unskilled immigration and Urbanization 14 The foreign-born population of the U.S. nearly doubled between 1870-1900 In the 1840s and 1850s, German and Irish Catholics had immigrated to the United States Despite differences, their children were often able to blend into American society But starting in 1870, some people feared ”new” immigrants would destroy American culture immigration and Urbanization 14 Immigrants to the United States from Southern and Eastern Europe made up 70 percent of all immigrants after 1900, up from 1 percent at midcentury immigration and Urbanization 14 Push factors for immigration were those that pushed people from their homes in Europe Pull factors were those that attracted them to America Push Factors Pull Factors Farmers were pressured by land The U.S. offered plentiful land, reform and low prices employment, and opportunity Revolution and war disrupted Many “chain immigrants” already economies and left political had family in the U.S refugees Religious persecution forced many Immigrants could find religious to flee violence and political freedom in America immigration and Urbanization 14 Coming to America was often a tough decision ○ Immigrants usually brought only what they could carry and traveled by steamship in steerage cramped quarters with no privacy or many comforts immigration and Urbanization 14 When the immigrants arrived after their long journeys, they were processed at stations such as Ellis Island in New York Harbor There, officers conducted legal and medical inspections. Only 2 percent were denied entry into the U.S. ○ most quickly released Chinese and other Asian immigrants crossing the Pacific were processed at Angel Island in San Francisco Bay ○ nearly 20 percent were turned away ○ many detained for weeks in poor conditions immigration and Urbanization 14 Both at Ellis Island and Angel Island immigrants were subjected to physical and mental examinations ○ criminal background checks when possible immigration and Urbanization 14 Once in America, Many stayed in cities and took jobs immigrants had to in factories find a home and ○ lived in ethnic neighborhoods work. They also had (ghettoes) to learn English and new customs Large cities such as New York and Chicago had huge immigrant populations by 1890 immigration and Urbanization 14 Immigrants had some help coping with their new surroundings Settlement houses ran Americanization programs to help recent immigrants learn English and adopt American dress and diet Immigrants formed fraternal associations ○ based on ethnic or religious identity ○ which provided social services and financial assistance immigration and Urbanization 14 Many believed that American society was a “melting pot” where white people of different nationalities blended to create a single culture This model mostly excluded Asian immigrants, who became targets of social and legal discrimination immigration and Urbanization 14 Despite the hopes of settlement workers, immigrants often held on to their traditions They established Immigrants’ children, their own fraternal lodges, schools, and became more religious institutions Americanized as they interacted with native born kids and attended public schools immigration and urbanization 14 Immigrants often dealt with nativism and hostility from native-born white Americans Religious differences and competition for jobs and housing led to divisions and prejudices immigration and urbanization 14 In 1882, Congress started passing legislation to restrict immigration to the United States The Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited immigration by Chinese laborers, limited the rights of Chinese immigrants in the U.S., and forbade the naturalization of Chinese residents Congress passed another law that prohibited the immigration of anyone who was a criminal, immoral, a pauper, or likely to need public assistance immigration and urbanization 14 Late 19the century immigrants transformed American society They fueled industrial growth They helped build the railroads and worked in factories, mills, and mines Their traditions became part of American culture Increasingly, they became active in labor unions and politics, and they demanded reforms immigration and urbanization 14 In 1860, most Americans lived in rural areas, with only 16 percent living in towns or cities with a population of at least 8,000 By 1900, 32 percent – This period was the or 15 million beginning of an Americans – lived in upsurge in American cities with populations urbanization that of more than 50,000 brought changes to the country immigration and urbanization 14 America’s major cities were manufacturing and transportation centers connected by extensive railway lines The cities were clustered in the Northeast, on the Pacific Coast, and along the waterways of the Midwest immigration and urbanization 14 Life was hard in the cities, but most people preferred them to the country Workers’ children could attend city schools Churches, theaters, social clubs, and museums offered companionship and entertainment Most city workers were able to enjoy a higher standard of living, and some moved into the growing middle class immigration and urbanization 14 Many rural-to-urban migrants moved to cities in the 1890s They were attracted by land and economic Immigrants, opportunities Farmers, and Migrants from the It was hard for farmers to work on rigid Rural West schedules in crowded factories, but factories paid wages in cash The majority of African Americans stayed in Southern cities African Americans But African American migrants to northern and western cities paved the way for a much larger migration after World War I immigration and urbanization 14 As cities swelled in size, American innovators developed new technologies to improve living conditions Technology Description skyscrapers They were steel-frame buildings 10 stories or taller, built because there was no room left on the ground to expand safety elevators Invented by Elisha Otis, they made taller buildings practical central heating Made to carry heat to all parts of a systems building immigration and urbanization 14 Mass transit reshaped the nation’s cities In 1888, Richmond, Virginia started using streetcars powered by overhead electric cables Within a decade, every major city followed Electric streetcars were quieter, cleaner, and more efficient than coal-driven commuter trains or horse-drawn trolleys immigration and urbanization 14 Traffic congestion often kept streetcars from running on schedule In 1897, Boston solved this problem by building the nation’s first subway system, and New York City followed suit in 1904 Mass transit made it possible for middle- and upper-class people to move to the suburbs immigration and urbanization 14 As cities grew, planners began to use zoning to designate certain parts of the city for certain functions But parks were also important in cities, Cities set aside and Frederick Law Olmsted designed space for heavy many well-known ones, such as New industry, financial York City’s Central Park institutions, homes, and public spaces such as libraries and government buildings immigration and urbanization 14 Many neighborhoods became overcrowded Some poor workers lived in tenements, which usually were unhealthy and dangerous because they had few windows and little sanitation Poor ventilation, waste collection and food storage immigration and urbanization 14 At this time, cities had filthy, unpaved streets and sanitation problems, conditions perfect for breeding epidemics To solve these problems, governments and city planners tried to regulate housing, sanitation, sewers, and public health They began to take water from clean reservoirs and to use water filtration systems immigration and urbanization 14 Cities responded to the threats of fire and crime with professional fire fighting teams, uniformed city police forces, and new electric streetlights However, the police were unable to overcome the challenge of conflicts between different racial groups, classes, and neighborhoods immigration and urbanization 14 In his 1873 novel, The Gilded Age, novelist Mark Twain satirically depicted American society as gilded, or having a rotten core covered with gold paint Most Americans were not as cynical, but Twain’s label stuck, and historians call the late 19th century the Gilded Age immigration and urbanization 14 By the 1870s, many big cities had department stores, which turned shopping into a form of entertainment for middle-class men and women Department stores attracted customers with wide-spread advertising and a variety of high-quality goods at fair prices immigration and urbanization 14 Change in the Gilded Age Changes for Women Changes for Men Store bought clothing, Public transportation allowed prepackaged foods, and families to live farther indoor plumbing made from the cities some tasks easier Rising expectations of Men often had to commute long cleanliness and more distances to work complicated meals made some tasks harder Many women had to work Men worked hard, but the outside the home to achieve a American culture taught that middle-class lifestyle hard work would pay off immigration and urbanization 14 One of the effects of the spread of transportation, communication, and advertising was that Americans became more alike in their consumption patterns Rich and poor wore the same clothing styles People bought the same kinds of products This phenomenon is known as mass culture immigration and urbanization 14 Joseph Pulitzer The sensationalistic believed that the job newspapers of of a newspaper was William Randolph to inform people and Hearst competed to stir up with Pulitzer’s controversy. His papers for readers papers were sensationalistic immigration and urbanization 14 During the Gilded Age, literature and art that explored harsh realities was popular Stephen Crane wrote about the realities of war in The Red Badge of Courage Horatio Alger wrote about characters who succeeded through hard work Mark Twain wrote novels such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that realistically depicted American life in the era immigration and urbanization 14 Public education expanded rapidly, as grade-school education became compulsory, more teenagers began attending high schools, and kindergartens opened As a result, the literacy rate climbed to nearly 90 percent by 1900 immigration and urbanization 14 Schools began to do a better job of preparing people for careers Schools taught skills that workers needed in budding industries Teachers attended training schools, and reformers such as John Dewey introduced new teaching methods Universities began to provide specialized training for urban careers such as social work immigration and urbanization 14 Education for All Schools taught immigrants English and Immigrants helped Americanize them A few careers were open to women Women There was an upsurge in women’s colleges, and many state universities began to accept women Limited access to white institutions led African to a growth in schools and colleges for Americans African Americans immigration and urbanization 14 Baseball, America’s national sport, became extremely popular during the Gilded Age, although after 1887 it was segregated Horse and bicycle racing, boxing, football, and basketball also became popular spectator sports