Why did they come?For Europeans

-fleeing religious persecution

Jews of Eastern Europe

For the Chinese and Mexicans

-political unrest

- Job opportunitiesBoxer Rebellion, China 1900

Mexican Rebellion, 1910

-rising population (doubled in a century)

-scarce land and few jobs

Most came by steamship

- in steerage

Cheap

Crowded

Unsanitary

On the East coast they went through…

Ellis Island 1892-1924

Inside…The Registry Room

In the day…

17,000,000 people

Mostly from Europe, especially Eastern and

Southern Europe

Ellis Island

After registration…Inspection

Medical Examination for contagious or debilitating diseases

Examination of legal documents check met legal requirements :

no felony, can work, some savings

Total processing time: 5-6 hours

17,000,000 pass through

20% detained for a day+

2% rejected (250,000)

leaving Ellis island

On the west coast they went through…

Angel Island 1910

Immigration Station

barracks

Why?

In California nativist political parties fear competition from Chinese workers

Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 banned the entry of all

Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and

government officials

Angel Island served more to prevent illegal immigrants

Quarantined if there was any suspicion of contagious disease

They were questioned harshly and held for

extended periods, sometimes as long as

two years

Rise of Nativism - favoring native-born (WASPs) Americans

Immigration Restriction League, 1894

want to restrict the “wrong” kind of immigrants

influence Congress to require literacy tests for immigrants

American Protective Association, 1887

strongly anti-Catholic

Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907

Japan discourages emigration of unskilled workers

San Francisco repeals the segregation order of schools

Urban Growth: Urban Growth: 1870 - 1870 - 19001900What caused this rapid urbanization?

Americanization Movement

• What? Assimilation of New Immigrants

• Causes? Some xenophobia others desire to help and reform

• How? Schools and voluntary associations teaching English and “social etiquette”

• Impact?Little Italy in NYC

In 1915… the re-birth of the KKK

Membership limited to white,

native-born, Protestant men

Highly anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, and anti-black

Urban problems led to …

reformers

Social Gospel movement:

Christian-based movement that taught salvation came through service to the poor

led to establishment of “settlement houses” - community centers in slum neighborhoods

Settlement Houses

Provided

educational services: English, college extension courses

cultural services: painting, music

social services: health services (like nurse visits)

Usually staffed by middle-class, college-educated women, often living at the settlement house

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

One of the most important figures of the settlement house movement

Founded Hull House in Chicago 1889

Hull House

Jane Addams and Hull House children

Dance at Hull House

““Dumbell Dumbell ““ Tenement Tenement

Jacob Jacob Riis: Riis:

How the How the

Other Half Other Half LivesLives

(1890)(1890)

Tenement Slum Tenement Slum LivingLiving

Lodgers Huddled Lodgers Huddled TogetherTogether