The Great West & Gilded Age American History II - Unit 1 Ms. Brown

Review How was Social Darwinism reflected in the wealth gap between the rich and the poor? “survival of the fittest” – rich believed the poor were poor because they were not as fit to survive and prosper In what ways were laborers suffering in the workplace? Low wages, long hours, dangerous conditions, child labor, no time off, sweatshop tenements didn’t adhere to labor laws What are some ways in which labor unions tried to achieve their demands? Collective bargaining, arbitration, and strikes Why did socialism appeal to some laborers? Government owned businesses wouldn’t ignore laws and conditions might be better Government could ensure equal distribution of pay in society How did businesses manipulate the Interstate Commerce Act and the Sherman Antitrust Act to end labor strikes? Claim strikes were interfering with interstate trade, therefore the government had to end the strike to restore free trade

1.5 – Immigration & Urbanization

1900s Immigrants: Who? 1901-1910 Immigration – the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country East Coast (Ellis Island) Old Europeans – Western Europe New Europeans – South and Eastern Europe West Coast (Angel Island and Hawaii) Asians – Chinese and Japanese Mexican, Cuban, Jamaican “Birds of Passage” – make $ and then return home

1900s Immigrants: Why? Religious persecution (Jews) Rising populations Push Factors Pull Factors Religious persecution (Jews) Rising populations Job and food scarcity High taxes Job opportunities and higher wages Sense of independence

The Journey By steamship, mostly in steerage (cargo) 1 week from Europe 3 weeks from Asia Ellis Island, NY and Angel Island, CA Immigration stations to receive immigrants for processing 5+ hours Pass physical exam (diseases, serious health issues, etc) Documents checked by gov’t inspector (no felonies, able to work, had at least $25) Only 2% denied entrance, but many were detained in filthy facilities while being processed

Settling In America Immigrants faced many challenges. English language Place to live Job Cultural clashes Many joined ethnic communities  lifelines for immigrants

Nativism Increases Many immigrants formed hyphenated American identities and assimilated to an extent while keeping many cultural beliefs  increase in American nativism – favoring native-born citizens, anti-immigrant beliefs Favored immigrants – Old Europeans, protestant, white Disliked immigrants – New Europeans, Catholic or Jewish, Asian and Pacific

Anti-Immigrant Legislation 1896 –Congress passed a bill requiring literacy tests for immigrants BUT POTUS Cleveland vetoed the bill >40 words in English and/or native language  denied entry Similar bill passed in 1917 Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 – banned entry of Chinese immigrants EXCEPT educated and upper class professions Not repealed until 1943 Gentlemen’s Agreement – 1907-08, US wouldn’t impose official immigration restrictions on Japanese, in return for Japan limiting the emigration of Japanese Did not include Japanese immigration to Hawaii

Challenges of Urbanization Urbanization – growth of cities Immigrants, southerners, westerners moved to cities  easier to find jobs Growth of the Americanization movement – social movement to assimilate immigrants into American culture Sponsored and funded by gov’t and citizen organizations Teach skills needed for citizenship – English literacy, American history, government/politics Teach cultural skills – cooking, etiquette Met by mixed immigrant sentiments – didn’t want to leave behind many cultural practices and ethnic neighborhoods didn’t require knowledge of English language or US customs

Urban Problems Housing – lived in tenements (small apartments) Often 1+ families, unsanitary, cramped, made into sweatshops Transportation – mass transit  street cars could move many people along fixed routes, ill-kept Water – usually no indoor plumbing, cholera and typhoid fever, early filtration and chlorination systems by 1910 Sanitation – no dependable trash collection, build up of trash, manure, and sewage in streets; increased air pollution

Urban Problems Crime – increased pickpockets and theft; NYC organized 1st salaried police force but it was not very effective Fire – candles and kerosene lamps + wooden dwellings + lack of water supply  large scale fires in almost every big city in the late 1800s Great Chicago Fire, 1871, burned for 29 hours, destroyed 1/3 of Chicago San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, burned for 4 days

Reformers Mobilize Social Gospel Movement – religious movement preaching salvation through helping the poor Settlement houses – community centers that provided help to the local poor Educational, social, cultural, and health services Jane Addams – established Hull House settlement house in Chicago

Reformers Mobilize Jacob Riis – wrote and photographed How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York (1890) Riis – Danish immigrant, couldn’t find work Documented the living and working conditions of urban life to raise awareness and hopefully spur change Blamed the apathy of the wealthy classes for NYC slums Basis for muckraking journalism (Unit 2…)