CH.7 Immigration Urbanization & Political Machines

IMMIGRATION REASONS? Class discussion: Why did Immigrants come? Why do immigrants continue to come today? Similarities?

IMMIGRATION cont. BEFORE 1890 – NORTHERN/WESTERN EUROPEAN Liked: spoke same language (English), same religion (Christian/Protestant), had $, fit in AFTER 1890 - SOUTHERN EASTERN EUROPEAN Disliked: spoke different language (German, Russian, Italian, Slavic), different religion (Catholic/Jew/orthodox), poor, competed for jobs

Immigrant Checkpoints ANGLEL ISLAND (SF) Asian immigration. Harsh questioning, long detention, filthy quarters

ELLIS ISLAND (NY) European immigration. Check health and background

ETHNIC COMMUNITIES Provided support for immigrants of the same country. Allowed them to speak own language, practice customs and religion.

Ethnic Communities

AMERICANIZATION Process to assimilate immigrants into the dominant culture (U.S). Schools teach skills & literacy, cooking, social etiquette. Learn the ways of native-born Americans.

NATIVISM Americans who favored native-born Americans. Led Anti-immigrant Movt. against Southern/Eastern (Euro.), and Chinese/Asian immigrants. RACIST CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT 1882. Banned for 10 yr., 1892 10 more+ Gentlemen’s Agreement (San Francisco segregation of Japanese students) Japan restricts immigration 1906, and S.F. desegregates schools)

URBANIZATION MIGRATION(RURAL) New farm equipment (reaper, plow) displaced farmers. Many rural farmers moved to the cities to find jobs. 1890-1910: 200,000 African Americans moved from the South, to the North and West (Chicago & Detroit) to escape racism, unemployment, and political oppression. (not much better) Great Migration

URBAN PROBLEMS HOUSING (TENEMENTS) - multi-family dwellings built due to lack of space. Had many small units, to supply need for housing in cities! TRANSPORTATION – MASS TRANSIT (STREET CARS, SUBWAYS) made it easier for people to live outside cities SAFE WATER contaminated, not piped to homes SANITATION – Horse apples, sewage, garbage on streets  CRIME – pick pockets, thieves, violent gangs FIRE – lack of water, wooden houses, use of candles & kerosene heaters. Only volunteer fire fighters (spoils) until 1900’s DRUG ADDICTION/ PROSTITUTION

Tenements

SETTLMENT HOUSES (community centers) Social Gospel Movement – (salvation through service to the poor) JANE ADAMS – “HULL HOUSE” CHICAGO EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO POOR IMMIGRANTS

POLITICAL MACHINES ORGANIZED GROUP CONTROLLING ACTIVITIES OF POLITICAL PARTY IN A CITY PRECINCT CAPTAINS, WARD BOSS, CITY BOSS GAVE FAVORS AND HANDOUTS IN RETURN FOR VOTES!!! BOSSES CONTROLLED JOBS, AND BUSINESS LISCENSES. POWERFUL

Political Machines & Corruption Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall N.Y. (biggest machine)- caught grafting GRAFTING- Illegal use of political influence for personal gain (kickbacks). Example: a $3 million job is charged $13 million. OVERAGE (10 mill) GIVEN TO MACHINE. (TAMANY HALL) that’s the people’s money!! 

PATRONAGE AKA: The SPOILS SYSTEM, government jobs go to friends of the elected president (qualified?) James Garfield set out to change – he was assassinated, Chester Arthur continued change with, Pendelton Civil Service Act 1883. Appointment to federal jobs based on performance on examination. (Today: must take civil service exam for any federal job; U.S. Postal worker.)

HIGH TARIFFS AND BIG BUSINESS TAX ON IMPORTED GOODS. (Why important?) MAKES AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS CHEAPER THAN FOREIGN, BUT PRICES ARE USUALLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL. BETTER FOR AMERICAN BUSINESS! DEMOCRATS DID NOT SUPPORT (CLEVELAND) THEY BUY EUROPEAN GOODS! REPUBLICANS RAISED TARIFFS ( HARRISON) THEY ARE AMERICAN BUSINESS OWNERS