American society in transtion The united states after the gilded age

Urbanization: growth of cities Demography – the study of population Important result of industrialization Expansion of American cities

Urbanization: the growth of cities Urbanization – the movement of people from the countryside to towns and cities New York City 1900 40% of Americans were living in cities and that percentage was growing. In 1865 only two American cities has populations over 500,000 By 1900 that number has risen to 6. Three of them – NYC, Philly, and Chigago – had more than 1M.

Urbanization: growth of cities Factors that contributed to urban growth New farm machinery reduced the need for farm labor Sought work in towns and cities Rise of industry created new job opportunities Cultural opportunities in cities Entertainment Immigration As populations increased, cities were often unable to deal adequately with the problems presented by urbanization

Cities face new problems: overcrowding and congestions Problems created by overcrowded cities Inadequate public services: hospitals, police, schools, fire departments, street cleaning, garbage collection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHg- y78oaR4 Transportation: horse-drawn coaches, electric trolley Subway system built in 1900 to address pollution created by previous

Cities face new problems: overcrowding and congestion Tenement – a house that is divided and rented out as separate residences, especially one that is run-down and overcrowded

Cities face new problems: overcrowding and congestion Problems created by overcrowded cities Overcrowding tenements often lacked daylight, heat, fresh air, and adequate plumbing Social Tensions In the cities rich lived next to poor. Seeing the luxuries of the wealthy distressed poor and increased social tensions and crimes.

Cities face new problems: overcrowding and congestion Political Machines - CORRUPT Provided jobs and other services to immigrants and the poor in exchange for votes Helped find housing and become naturalized citizens Provided money in hard times Often political machines were the ones who got streets paved, extended water pipes, or approved construction Tammany Hall – New York City Cities were often run by corrupt “political machines. The leaders of these machines were known as “political bosses”

Cities face new problems: overcrowding and congestion Political Bosses Leaders of the political machines Told workers and supporters of the machine what to do Boss Tweed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p56Ok2ah tYk

Immigration Pull Factors Why Immigrants Came Belief that American offered Freedom Economic opportunities Cultural ties to relatives already living in the U.S. Why Immigrants Came Push factors – “push” immigrants out of their homelands Pull factors – “pull” immigrants into a new country Push Factors Oppression Poverty Famine in Ireland War Religious / Ethnic Persecution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o53YwfG2jLA

Immigration New Immigrants Southern and Eastern Europe Poland, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Greece, Russia Almost none spoke English Majority were Catholic, Jewish, Orthodox Christian Initial Hardships Most settled in cities and were usually poor, dressed differently than other Americans, and were unfamiliar with American customs Often faced hostility and discrimination from native-born Americans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss3RBpjvaFA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLDI7Gb2FrY Prior to 1900 most immigrants came from Northern Europe (Great Britian, Ireland, Germany) and were generally Protestant with the exception of Irish Catholics

Immigration Ethnic Ghettos Ethnic neighborhoods where immigrants usually settled with relatives and others of the same Nationality Immigrants felt more comfortable around those who Spoke the same language Followed the same cutsoms In these communities immigrants could Speak their native language Attend their own churches and synagoges Be among relatives and friend from the “Old Country” Problems These communities often isolated immigrants from mainstream America making it harder for them to adopt new cutoms Problems These communities often isolated immigrants from mainstream America making it harder for them to adopt new customs https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=o53YwfG2jLA

Immigration The Process of Americanization Learning to dress, speak, and act like other Americans Public schools greatly assisted in this process https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZQl6 XBo64M

immigration The Rise of Nativists Those born in or native to the United States who wanted restrictions to immigration Believed those who were of other races, religions, and nationalities were inferior to WASPs WASP – White Anglo-Saxon Protestant

immigration Chinese Exclusion Act First federal law to restrict immigration In California political leaders blamed unemployment and low wages on Chinese workers

The last American frontier The line separating areas of settlement from “unsettled” wilderness territory

The Last American frontier The Lure of Gold California Gold Rush Klondike Gold Rush in Alaska People moved to Alaska, Colorado, and California seeking instant wealth

The last American frontier Indian Wars Union troops stationed along frontier defeated several Native American tribes on the Great Plains and Southwest Moved them on to Reservations

the last American frontier The Sioux Discovery of Gold in Black Hills 1875 Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse defeat Custer and kill 264 soldiers at Little Big Horn Wounded Knee – 1890 Slaughter of 300 unarmed Sioux men, women and children

the last American frontier The Impact of Railroads Railroads attracted increasing numbers of settlers to the West Could ship crops by rail to the east Often ran through Native American territory Herds of buffalo destroyed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDkqIrb5i1c

the last American frontier Cheap Land The Homestead Act Any citizen could occupy 160 acres of government land if that land was “improved” by building a home and growing crops Almost 1,400,000 homesteads were eventually granted

the Last American Frontier The Cattle Industry Much of the open range was closed by barbed-wire Ranchers had to make many adaptations such as burning cow chips for fuel

the Fate of Native Americans Reservations The Trail of Tears U.S. government pushed Native Ameicans from their tribal lands and onto reservations Flood of settlers increased the need for available land

the fate of native americans The Dawes Act Speed up Americanization of Native Americans Abolished Native American tribes Each family was given 160 acres of reservation land Each Native American was expected to become a farmer Those who adopted the American way of life were given citizenship and the right to vote Nearly destroyed the surviving Native American culture

the fate of Native Americans American Indian Citizenship Act 1924 Under this act Congress declared that Native Americans did not have to give up tribal lands or customs to become citizen as the Dawes Act required Ten years later the Dawes Act was replaced by an act guaranteeing tribal self-government