Immigration More than 13.5 Million Immigrants came to the United States

*In the five decades after the Civil War, roughly , a flood of immigrants came to America. From 1865 to 1900, some 13.5 million immigrants arrived in America.

* Wars, famine, religious persecution, and overpopulation were the four major reasons why people left Europe and came to the United States.

* Passage to the United States often cost a life’s savings. Because of this cost, entire families would often save enough money to send just one or two family members to America, hoping that eventually these members could afford to bring over the rest of the family.

Travel Dangers As for conditions below decks, an agent for the United States Immigration Commission described them as follows: “During the twelve days in the steerage I lived in…surroundings that offended every sense. Only a fresh breeze from the sea overcame the sickening odors. Everything was dirty, sticky, and disagreeable to the touch.” In such conditions, disease and even death were not uncommon.

Ellis Island *In 1890, Congress designated low-laying, three- acre Ellis Island in Upper New York Bay as an immigration station. By the end of 1910, six million immigrants had come through Ellis Island.

Inspection *The immigration inspection process was a humiliating and dehumanizing experience for many. Newly arrived immigrants were given medical inspections and asked 32 background questions. Immigrants with contagious diseases were shipped back.

Some native-born Americans feared and resented the new immigrants. Their languages, religions, and customs seemed strange. They also competed for jobs. Desperate for jobs, immigrants often accepted lower wages and worse working conditions.

*The majority of immigrants settled in the big cities where factory jobs were available. By 1900, 4 out of every 5 people in New York City were immigrants or children of immigrants. * Many immigrants lived in areas with people of similar ethnic background. Such neighborhoods provided support but separated the immigrants from the rest of Americans thus slowing their assimilation into US culture.

In the Tenements *Many immigrants lived in crowded tenement buildings. Families shared living space and decent lighting & fresh air were scarce. *

Living Conditions Conditions were uncomfortable, crowed, and dirty. In New York, 1,231 people lived in only 120 rooms in one part of the city. In Chicago in one year, over 60% of newborns never reached their first birthdays. Many babies asphyxiated in their own homes.

Jacob Riis An immigrant himself, Jacob Riis was well known for his photographs documenting the lives of immigrants & the urban poor in his book How the Other Half Lives.

The New Immigration After 1890, most immigrants are coming from Southern and Eastern EuropeEurope Italians,Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles Serbs, Croats, Russians, Romanians, Greeks Difference in culture, language, and religion A. Catholism and Judaism

Immigrants Life Working Conditions - Mines, Mills and Sweatshops Exploitation - labor recruiters claimed a healthy percent of wages from grateful immigrants Woman worked as domestic servants Gravitated to hoods populated by their own A. Little Italy, Little Hungary, Chinatown…… Areas turned into slumsslums

Map of Angel Island

The Nativist response 1.New immigrants viewed as a threatthreat A. Large influx of immigrants changes existing Anglo-Saxon Protestant Culture B. Anti-Catholic movement- (anti-Irish) 1. xenophobes wanted longer wait time between immigration and naturalization C. Anti-German Movement 1.distrusted due to separatist social structure 2. opposition to prohibition 3. attachment to native tongue 4. neutrality toward war (WWI) 2. Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson-Reed Act)Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson-Reed Act) A. limited annual number of immigrants that could be admitted to country 1. caused by isolationism and fear of Eastern and Southern Europeans who had started coming in large numbers since 1890

Anti-Immigrant Legislation Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) –Banned entry to all Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and government officials –Originally set for 10 yrs, but act continued to be extended –Law was in effect until 1943

Exclusions Immigration restriction A. Early Laws excluded “undesirables”undesirables” B. Chinese Immigrants excluded in Excluded all Chinese labor immigration to US for 10 years. 2. Act renewed in 1892, and in 1902 with no terminal date. Repealed in 1943 (Magnuson Act) allowing 105 Chinese Per year 3. First U.S immigration Law that targeted ethnic group C. Gentlemen’s agreement with JapaneseGentlemen’s agreement 1. Informal agreement between U.S and Japanese government to not issue passports to Japanese citizens wishing to work in United States 2. attempt by Japanese govt. to prevent possible segregation of Japanese in San Francisco

Urbanization Issues - Housing Types of Housing –Row Houses –(dumbbell) Tenements Overcrowding Affordable housing very poor –Deteriorating –Dangerous –No water/indoor plumbing –Very little air or light

Urbanization - Water In the late 1800s, few had indoor plumbing & water was collected in pails from faucets on the street and heat it for bathing Needed to improve water quality b/c of cholera and typhoid fever Access to safe water (even after the introduction of filtration and chlorination at turn of century) was limited

Urbanization - Sanitation Horse manure piled up on streets Sewage flowed through open gutters Factory smoke filled the air Garbage was dumped in the streets (no formal trash collection)

Urbanization - Crime Political Corruption Gangs - nativism, violence Theft Drunkeness No police

Urbanization - Fire Building materials were flammable No fire departments No water Overcrowding Fires occurred in every major city (2 major examples): –Chicago (1871): 24 hours, 300 ppl died, 100,000 homeless, 3 sq mi destroyed, $200 mil in damages, 17,500 buildings destroyed –San Francisco (1906): 4 days, 1,000 ppl died, 200,000 left homeless, 5 sq mi destroyed, $500 mil in damages, 28,000 buildings destroyed

Political Machine continued Precinct Workers – Worked to gain voters’ support on a city block or in a neighborhood and reported to the ward boss. Ward Boss – Helped the poor and gained votes by doing favors or providing services. In return for votes they would provide city jobs, contracts or appointments. City Boss – Controlled thousands of municipal jobs, including police, fire and sanitation departments. Controlled business licenses and inspections. Had a lot of influence over courts and other municipal agencies.

Immigrant Populations Rapid urbanization occurred in the late 19 th century in the Northeast and Midwest. Immigrants settled in cities because of the available jobs and affordable housing. By 1910, immigrants made up more than half the population of 18 major American cities

Migration from Country to City Rapid improvements in farm technology (tractors, reapers, steel plows) made farming more efficient and required less labor. Many rural people left for cities to find work – including almost a quarter of a million African Americans. Discrimination and segregation were often the reality for African Americans who migrated north

Urban Problems Problems in American cities in the late 19 th & early 20 th centuries included: Housing: Overcrowded tenements were un- healthy places to live. Sanitation: Garbage often was not collected and polluted the air. Famous photographer Jacob Riis captured the struggle of living in crowded tenements

Transportation: Cities struggled to provide adequate transit systems. Water: Without safe drinking water cholera and typhoid fever were common Crime: As populations increased thieves flourished. Fire: Limited water, wooden structures, and the use of candles led to many major urban fires. Harper’s Weekly image of Chicagoans fleeing the fire over the Randolph Street bridge in 1871 Chicago 1871 and San Francisco 1906 were two major fires.

Reformers Mobilize The Social Gospel Movement preached salvation through service to the poor. Some reformers established Settlement Houses. These houses provided a place to stay, classes, health care and other social services. Jane Addams, who founded Hull House in Chicago, was the most famous social worker involved with the settlement community.