Immigration Urbanization The Gilded Age Immigration Urbanization

New Immigration By the 1890s, eastern and southern Europeans made up more than half of all immigrants. Of the 14 million immigrants who arrived between 1860 and 1900,many were European Jews. America offered immigrants employment, few immigration restrictions, avoidance of military service, religious freedom, and the chance to move up the social ladder. The 14-day trip to America usually ended at Ellis Island, a small island in New York Harbor. It served as a processing center for most immigrants arriving on the East coast after 1892.

Ellis Island

Journey to Ellis Island

Arriving at Ellis Island

Being Processed at Ellis Island

Immigration Continued Most immigrants settled in cities. They lived in neighborhoods that were separated into ethnic groups. Here they duplicated many of the comforts of their homelands, including language and religion.

Ethnic Neighborhoods

Where the Immigrants are from? New Immigrants (1890-1920) are from southern and eastern Europe- Italians, Poles, eastern European Jews, Greeks, Serbs, Czechs, and Slovaks Many Asian immigrants also came over. Chinese immigrants worked on the Pacific railroads Japanese began coming in 1870’s Filipinos, Koreans, and middle-eastern immigrants too Old Immigrants were mostly from northern and western Europe- Britain Ireland Germany Scandinavia

Old and New Immigrants

Asian Immigration Severe unemployment, poverty, and famine in China; the discovery of gold in California; the Taiping Rebellion in China; and the demand for railroad workers in the United States led to an increase in Chinese immigration to the United States in the mid-1800s. Between 1900 and 1919,Japanese immigration to the United States drastically increased as Japan began to build an industrial economy and an empire. In 1910 a barracks was opened on Angel Island in California. Here, Asian immigrants, mostly young men and boys, waited sometimes for months for the results of immigration hearings.

Angel Island Many of the immigrants who came to Angel Island, in California came from Asia

Immigrants on Angel Island

Immigrants on Angel Island

Chinese Exclusion Act In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act that barred Chinese immigration for 10 years and prevented the Chinese already in America from becoming citizens. This act was renewed by Congress in 1892, made permanent in 1902, and not repealed until 1943.

The Chinese Exclusion Act

Anti-foreign Feelings Grow The increase in immigration led to nativism, an extreme dislike for foreigners by native-born people and the desire to limit immigration. Earlier, in the 1840s and 1850s, nativism was directed towards the Irish. In the early 1900s, it was the Asian, Jews, and eastern Europeans that were the focus of nativism. Nativism led to the forming of two anti-immigrant groups. The American Protective Association (anti Catholics and foreigners) Workingman’s Party of California (anti-Chinese)

Overcrowding

Political Extremism

Disease and Uncleanliness

Unintelligence and Racial Impurity

Nativism

Reasons for Immigration Unemployment in Europe Starvation and Famine in Europe War and Violence Seeking political freedom Seeking religious freedom “American Dream” Strict social class system in Europe

Urbanization-Rise of American Cities Urbanization- movement of people to the cities grew enormously after the Civil War. Industrial Age meant factories and job opportunities The urban population of the United States grew from about 10 million in 1870 to over 30 million by 1900. Immigrants remained in the cities, where they worked long hours for little pay. Farmers began moving to cities because of better paying jobs, electricity, running water, plumbing, and entertainment.

The New Urban Environment Housing and transportation needs changed due to the increase in the amount of people living in cities. Skyscrapers- cities expanded outward, but also upward thanks to improved building materials and electricity. Transportation to and from and within the city were better (trains, subways, cars, roads, steamships)

Separation of Classes Definite boundaries could be seen between where the wealthy, middle class, and working class people lived. Wealthy families lived in the heart of the city where they constructed elaborate homes. The middle class, which included doctors, lawyers, engineers, and teachers, tended to live away from the city. The majority of urban dwellers were part of the working class who lived in city tenements, or dark and crowded multi-family apartments.

Urban Problems The growth of cities resulted in an increase in crime, fire, disease, and pollution. From 1880 to 1900, there was a large increase in the murder rate. Native-born Americans blamed immigrants for the increase in crime. Alcohol contributed to crime in the late 1800s. Contaminated drinking water from improper sewage disposal resulted in epidemics of typhoid fever and cholera.

Urban Politics Machine Politics – many cities were divided into smaller districts or wards. Voters in each ward elected a representative to represent them on the city council. Local politicians influenced immigrants and persuaded the immigrants to vote for them by promising them jobs or things they needed (heat, water, electricity)

Urban Politics cont… Political Machines granted favors in exchange for votes. The party bosses had tight control of the city’s money. While it was legal, the political machine led to corruption because political bosses bought votes and gave jobs to their supporters they whether qualified or not for these jobs. Bribes were often taking place Many of the politicians became wealthy due to fraud or graft–getting money through dishonest or questionable means. The most famous New York Democratic political machine was Tammany Hall. During the 1860s and 1870s, Tammany Hall’s boss was William M. Tweed.

The Gilded Age In 1873 Mark Twain and Charles Warner co-wrote the novel, The Gilded Age. Historians use this term to refer to the time between 1870 and 1900. The term “gilded” refers to something being gold on the outside while the inside is made of cheaper material. The authors tried to point out that although this was a time of growth, beneath the surface were corruption, poverty, and a huge difference between rich and poor.

Gilded Age beliefs A strong belief during the Gilded Age was the idea of individualism. This is the belief that regardless of your background, you could still rise in society. Horatio Alger, a minister from Massachusetts, left the clergy and moved to New York where he wrote over 100 novels about rags-to-riches stories.

Social Darwinism Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher, first proposed the idea of Social Darwinism. Spencer took Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection and applied it to human society. Like Darwin’s theory–that a species that cannot adapt to the environment will eventually die out–Spencer felt that human society evolved through competition. “the strongest will survive” – Survival of the fittest

Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism He concluded that society progressed and became better because only the fittest people survived. Industrial (business) leaders agreed with Social Darwinism. Many industrial leaders used this philosophy to help explain capitalism and the laissez-faire economic system. Andrew Carnegie, a wealthy business leader, believed in Social Darwinism and laissez-faire

Carnegie Gives Back However, he also felt those who profited from society should give something back, so he softened Social Darwinism with his Gospel of Wealth. This philosophy stated that wealthy Americans were responsible and should engage in philanthropy, using great fortunes to further social progress.

Art Movements and Pop Culture A new movement in art and literature, called realism, portrayed people in realistic situations instead of idealizing them as the romantic artists had done. People had more money to spend on entertainment and recreation. Work became separate from home. People looked to have fun by “going out” to public entertainment. During the 1800s, the saloon acted like a community and political center for male workers. It offered free toilets, water for horses, free newspapers, and free lunches.

Art Movements and Pop Culture cont…. Coney Island in New York was an amusement park that attracted working class families and single adults. It offered amusements such as water slides and railroad rides. Watching sports became very popular in the late 1800s. Baseball began to appear in the United States in the early 1800s. In the early 1880s, vaudeville became popular. It was adapted from the French theater and combined animal acts, acrobats, gymnasts, and dancers in its performance. During this time, people began enjoying ragtime music.

Immigration Today

Immigration Today In 2006 1,266,264 people obtained legal permanent residency in America Of these people: 112,106 came from Africa 411,795 cane from Asia 169,197 came from Europe 412,699 came from North America 8,001 came from Oceania 16,315 came from an Unknown place

Immigration in Massachusetts Today In 2006 35,560 obtained legal permanent status in Massachusetts In 2006 in the United States the people from the following countries received legal permanent status (this does not mean necessarily the amount of people who immigrated to the U.S.): 17,910 people from Brazil 17,490 people from Ecuador. 24,146 people from Guatemala. 1,906 people from Ireland 3,215 people from Italy 87,345 people from China. 173,753 people from Mexico 1,409 people from Portugal