URBAN AMERICA 1865-1896

Chapter 10

Section 1 - Immigration

Main Idea: After the Civil War, millions ofimmigrants from Europe and Asia settled in theUnited States.

I. European Immigration A. Why did they come?

1. US had plenty of jobs2. Few immigrant restrictions3. To avoid forced military service at

home4. To avoid religious persecution5. To escape Europe’s class system

B. The Atlantic Voyage1. Most traveled in

steerage - cheapest.2. Miserable

conditions. C. Ellis Island - New York

1. Processing center2. Medical exams;

often led to quarantine or

forced return to Europe.

“Old Immigration” - Before 1860:* Immigrants mostly came from northern & western Europe.* Mostly Protestant & Catholic.

“New Immigration” - After 1860:* Immigrants mostly came from southern & eastern Europe.* Many were Jewish; many were Catholic.

D. Ethnic Cities1. Immigrants mostly settled in

neighborhoods separated into ethnic groups.

2. Spoke native languages3. Recreated churches, synagogues, clubs, & newspapers of their homelands.4. Their adjustment depended partly on: a. Learning English & how well they adapted to the American culture. b. Whether they had marketable skills or $$$.

II. Asian Immigration to America A. Why did Asians come to America?

1. Chinese - mid-1800s; mostly western cities.

a. Overpopulation b. Unemployment c. Poverty d. Famine & hunger e. 1848 - discovery of gold in California

demand for workers in the mines. f. Rebellion in China (20 million dead) g. Transcontinental railroad demand for workers.

2. Japanese - later 1800s/early 1900s. a. Japan was building an industrial economy. b. Building an empire disrupted economy,

causing hardships for Japanese people. B. Angel Island - the “Ellis Island of the West

Coast” (processing immigrants, etc.)

III. The Resurgence of Nativism Wave of immigrants fear & distrust of

foreigners. A. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

1. Barred Chinese immigration for 10 yrs.2. Kept Chinese in US from becoming citizens.

Angel Island“Ellis Island of the West Coast”

Chinese Laundry in San Francisco

Passport for Chin-shee(a young Chinese immigrant)

Nativism …. Ironic?

B. Why did nativists oppose immigration?1. Afraid that Catholic immigrants might get

too much power in US government.2. Immigrants would take low-paying jobs

away from American citizens.3. Immigrants would accept work as strike- breakers & hurt the unions’ efforts.

C. Prejudice against newcomers1. American Protective Association -

wanted to stop immigration.2. Workingman’s Party of California -

reaction to racial violence; also to stop immigration.

Sweatshop - an urban laundry

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free... The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost, to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

EmmaLazarus

Nativism .... Was the United States becoming a “Melting pot” or a “Dumping ground”?

Section 2 - Urbanization

Main Idea: During the thirty years following theCivil War, the U.S. transformed rapidly from a ruralnation to a more urban one.

I. Americans Migrate to the Cities A. Why?

1. Immigrants lacked $$$ to buy farms or education to get better jobs.

2. Worked long hours in factories 3. Farmers - for better-paying jobs & for the

excitement of the “modern” cities.

II. New Urban Environment A. Skyscrapers - lack of space; needed to “build

up.” B. Mass transit - needed to move large numbers

of people quickly.

BostonSubway

San Francisco Cable Car

Trolley Car

Horsecar

During the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, John Roebling, who designed the bridge, was killed on the job. His son continued directing the work until being injured. The work was then taken over by John’s wife, who completed the project with her son’s direction.

III. Separation by Class A. High Society - Upper Class

1. Rich; usually lived in the center of the city.2. Ex: Vanderbilt Mansion

Vanderbilt Mansion - Fifth Avenue New York City

Vanderbilt liked his mansion so much, he builtone just like it next door forhis daughter.

B. Middle-Class1. Fast-growing social group.2. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, social workers, architects, teachers, etc.3. Not enough salary to keep up with upper class.

C. Working Class1. Majority2. Often lived in tenements - crowded multi-family dwellings.3. Many sent their children to work in factories.

Expose written by Jacob Riis to show the desperate situation of the working poor

IV. Urban Problems A. Crime, violence, fire, disease, & pollution. B. Native-born Americans blamed immigrants. C. Alcohol - contributed to violent crime.

V. Urban Politics A. Political machine (new political system) -

informal political group designed to gain & keep political power.

--City dwellers needed jobs, housing, food, heat, & police protection.

B. Party boss - ran political machine; provided services to city dwellers in exchange for votes.

C. Corruption in political machine/boss system:1. Graft - getting $$$ through dishonest or questionable means.2. Fraud - bosses accepted bribes from con- tractors, etc., who in exchange got prized contracts for doing city work (ex: roads, garbage collection, etc.) or for city permits.

D. Tammany Hall 1. NYC Democratic machine.2. Boss - Wm. Marcy Tweed - corrupt!!!!3. Had control of NYC gov’t.

**In spite of all of the corruption, the machinesdid provide valuable services to city-dwellers.

Political cartoon portraying thecorruption whichsurrounded Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall.

William Marcy Tweed

Section 3 - The Gilded Age (Late 1800s)

Main Idea: Industrialism & urbanization changed American society’s ideas and culture.

I. Changing Culture A. The Gilded Age - term coined by Mark Twain

about the era from approx. 1870 - 1900. 1. Looked “golden” on outside, but problems

inside!2. Corruption, poverty, crime, big gap

between rich & poor.

B. Individualism - whatever his beginnings, inAmerica a person could rise in society.

C. Horatio Alger - wrote “rags to riches” stories which inspired people to believe that success was possible.

II. Social Darwinism A. Herbert Spencer’s idea. B. Taken from Darwin’s Origin of

Species (evolutionary theory). C. “Human society also evolved through competition & natural selection.” Idea of “survival of the fittest” in society.

D. Gospel of Wealth1. Rich must help the poor - philanthropy.2. Andrew Carnegie’s theory. a. Donated million$$ of his fortune. b. Libraries, scholarships, etc…

III. Realism - portrayed people realistically instead of idealizing them as in the Romantic era.

A. Art **Thomas Eakins - paintings of regular people in day-to-day activities.

Example of realisticart from the group ofpainters known as the “Ashcan” school of artists.

What is this paintersaying about lifein American citiesduring this time?

B. Literature1. Wm. Dean Howells2. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) a. Adventures of

Huckleberry Finn b. Wrote in local

dialect c. Wrote about very American subjects.

Howells’sRise of Silas Lapham

Samuel Clemens“Mark Twain”

3. Henry James - wrote about the inner lives of the upper class.4. Edith Wharton a. Upper class subjects. b. Ex: Age of Innocence.

HenryJames

EdithWharton

IV. Popular Culture A. Improved standard of living led to entertain-

ment & recreation. B. Saloon

1. Major role in life of male workers in 1800s.2. Served as social and political center.

C. Amusement parks & sports1. Coney Island a. Catered to working-

class families &singles.

b. Rides usually cost5 or 10 cents.

2. Watching professional boxing or baseball. a. Cincinnati Red Stockings - first salaried

professional baseball team. b. 1903 - first modern World Series played.

Cincinnati Red Stockings(later the Red Sox)

3. Football became a popular spectator sport during the Gilded Age, with college games proving to be the biggest draw. Rutgers and Princeton played in the first collegiate contest in 1869. Throughout the late 1800s, three Eastern universities–Harvard, Yale, and Princeton– dominated the sport.

University of Michigan Football Team - 1885

4. Other leisure activities:

Lawn Tennnis

Golf

Croquet

LawnTennis

D. Vaudeville 1. Similar to stage show/ concert.2. Different kinds of acts.

E. Ragtime1. African American music.2. Scott Joplin

Section 4 - The Rebirth of Reform

Main Idea: The pressing problems of the urban poor in the late 1800s and early 1900s eventually stimulated attempts to reform industrial society.

I. Social Criticism A. Debate between individualism/Social

Darwinism and government help. B. Should we redistribute wealth from the

rich to the poor? C. Should gov’t regulate the economy, or should

it be left to competition/supply and demand?

D. Edward Bellamy - Looking Backward; formof socialism theory; gov’t owns all industry &shares the wealth w/ everyone (communism

and/or socialism?)

II. Naturalism in Literature A. Response to Social Darwinism; “sometimes

people fail to succeed through no fault of theirown. We need gov’t regulation.”1. Stephen Crane- Maggie, Girl of the

Streets2. Jack London - his writings show power of natural environment over civilization.

III. Helping the Urban Poor A. Social Gospel - biblical ideas of charity &

justice. B. Salvation Army

1. William Booth, founder.2. Practical aid & religious counseling to the urban

poor. C. YMCA D. Revival meetings

William Booth

E. Settlement House movement1. Ex: Jane Addams - Hull House in Chicago.

2. Provided services to poor - medical care, recreation, English classes.3. New career field - social worker.

HullHouseJane

Addams

IV. Public Education A. Need for better educated & trained workers. B. Improvement in public education C. In education, cities were ahead of rural areas. D. African Americans did not have equal

opportunities.1. Some started their own schools.2. Booker T. Washington - founded Tuskegee Institute.

E. Morrill Land Grant - gov’t $$$ to states to start agricultural & mechanic colleges. (Ex: Texas A&M; Texas Tech)

F. Public libraries1. Free “education” opportunity.2. Andrew Carnegie donated million$ to build libraries all over the nation.

Reviewing Key TermsDefine Match the terms on the right with their definitions on the left.

__ 1. providing money to support humanitarian or social goals

__ 2. hostility toward immigrants

__ 3. causing someone to acquire American traits and characteristics

__ 4. an organization linked to a political party that often controlled local government

__ 5. multi-family apartments, usually dark, crowded, and barely meeting living standards

A. steerage

B. nativism

C. tenement

D. graft

E. political machine

F. party boss

G. philanthropy

H. vaudeville

I. ragtime

J. Americanization

B

J

G

E

C

Reviewing Key Terms (cont.)

Define Match the terms on the right with their definitions on the left.

__ 6. a type of music with a strong rhythm and a lively melody with accented notes

__ 7. stage entertainment made up of various acts, such as dancing, singing, comedy, and magic shows

__ 8. cramped quarters on a ship’s lower decks for passengers paying the lowest fares

__ 9. the acquisition of money on dishonest ways, as in bribing a politician

__ 10. the person in control of a political machine

H

A

I

D

F

A. steerage

B. nativism

C. tenement

D. graft

E. political machine

F. party boss

G. philanthropy

H. vaudeville

I. ragtime

J. Americanization