Chapter Seven Immigrants and Urbanization

Chapters in Brief - Overview The population rises as immigrants supply a willing workforce for urban industrialization.

Chapter Seven – Section Two The Challenges of Urbanization

Chapters in Brief Most of the new immigrants moved to the nation’s cities to get working in the growing industrial economy. It was also cheaper and more convenient for them to live in cities. By 1910, immigrants made up more than half of the populations of 18 different cities. Many settled in neighborhoods with others from the same country – even from the same province. As city populations rose, overcrowding sometimes resulted. Another movement helped swell urban populations. As efficient machines increased farm production, they also cost farm jobs. As a result, many people moved from farms to cities. About 200,000 of these new urban dwellers were African Americans leaving the South for Northern cities. They hoped to escape racial violence but found prejudice and low wagers in their new homes as well.

Chapters in Brief The growing cities had many problems. There were housing shortages, and many urban property owners converted single family homes in multifamily apartments. These solutions often placed people in crowded conditions, full of filth and disease. Growing populations created transportation problems as well. As the cities continued to grow, the transit system could not always keep up. City officials also had difficulty obtaining enough clean water. Cities began to clean and filter the water and insist on indoor plumbing, but these steps spread slowly. Removing waste and garbage was another problem. By 1900 most cities had full-time professional fire departments. But the lack of water made fires very dangerous – and reliance on wood as building material gave fires fuel to burn. Both Chicago, in 1871, and San Francisco, in 1906, suffered very devastating fires. Another problem of the growing cities was a crime.

Chapters in Brief Some social reformers pushed to improve life in the cities. The Social Gospel movement held that Christians had a duty to try to reform conditions. Some reformers created settlement houses. These community centers aimed at helping the poor, especially immigrants. Run mostly by women, they offered schooling, nursing, and other assistance.

Urban Opportunities urban population exploded due to the lure of industrial jobs 1870 to 1920 - 10,000,000 to 54,000,000 people lived in cities Urbanization: the growth of cities Rural: the growth of country areas Immigrants settle in cities * cities were the cheapest and most convenient places to live * cities offered unskilled laborers steady jobs in mills and factories * cities provided social support for assimilating into America * people could cluster into ethnic communities

Migration From Country To City Country Living * due to the reaper and steel plow, many could not find jobs * this caused many people to leave the country for cities * many southern farmers were African-American * in 1890-1910 approximately 200,000 African Americans moved north and west to places like Chicago and Detroit * they wanted to escape racial violence, economic hardship, and political oppression

Urban Problems Housing People could rent rooms in boarding house and share a kitchen and dining room Some people lived in row houses, which were single family dwellings that shared side walls with other similar homes Other people lived in dumbbell tenements, which were long, narrow, five-or-six story buildings that were shaped like barbells Garbage was picked up infrequently Garbage was dumped into airshafts, which led to a spread of rats and vermin People used pigs or goats to eat garbage There were no zoning laws, which meant that one could have a $1,000,000 home next to a slaughterhouse

Tenement Homes Tenements were types of low-income housing units built in cities for the waves of immigrants who came to the United States during the second half of the nineteenth century.  Living conditions were crowded and unhealthy.

Tenement Homes

Tenement Floor Plan (Four Homes)

Tenement Floor Plans

Tenement Living Room

Tenement Kitchen

Tenement Kitchen

Tenement Kitchen

Tenement Kitchen

Tenement Yard

Tenement Yard

Tenement Yard

Urban Problems Transportation prior to industrialization people moved on foot or in horse-drawn carriages trolleys were introduced in San Francisco in 1873 subways were brought to Boston in 1897 “El” trains ran over city streets “El” trains were run by coal, which caused pollution and dropped hot coals on people it was hard for cities to keep old transportation systems in good repair, but it was hard to build new ones to meet growth demand

Urban Problems Water prior to industrialization people bought water from vendors in 1840 to 1850, cities built public water works as late as 1860, residents of many cities had inadequate water mains and pipes residents collected water with pails to heat for bathing, cooking, and drinking eventually chlorine was added to combat cholera and typhoid fever

Urban Problems Sanitation unsanitary conditions were wide spread Horse manure piled in streets Sewage flowed through open gutters Factories released foul smoke there was no system of trash removal People dumped garbage into alleys and streets People hired to clean up the garbage did not do their jobs

Urban Problems Fire there was a limited water supply and proximity to firefighters cities were packed with wood homes people used candles and kerosene for lighting fire departments used volunteers. If workers were volunteer firemen and left work, they lost their jobs two major fires Chicago Fire– October 8, 1871 (Mrs. O’Leary’s Barn– fire started by Daniel “Peg-Leg” Sullivan hiding in barn drinking knocking over lantern) San Francisco Earthquake– April 18, 1906

Urban Problems Crime Pick-pockets Thieves Con-men Gangs controlled streets and corners not enough law enforcement to effectively police the cities