1/5/17 Please get out your Social Darwinism Homework ( I will be coming around to check at the tardy bell)

Today’s Class (01/5/17) Outcomes Agenda Be able to explain how the Social Darwinism theory was applied to society during the Gilded Age. Be able to explain the layout, living conditions, and dangers of living in tenement housing using primary sources. Agenda Review Social Darwinism Homework Immigrant Tenement Housing Intro Writing Prompt Explanation Primary Source – Description Photo Slideshow – NYC Tenements, late 1800s Class Review

Motivator: Theory of Social Darwinism Charles Darwin published On The Origin of Species in 1859, detailing his theory of evolution & natural selection. Many sociologists & millionaires took Darwin’s theory of natural selection and “survival of the fittest” and applied it to society. This theory justified the government’s laissez-faire (“hands-off”) approach to the economy – no one had right to interfere with natural law. Social Darwinists believed in individual responsibility and obtaining wealth was a sign of God’s favor, and therefore the poor must be lazy or inferior people who deserved what they had.

What are tenement houses? Tenement houses were urban apartment buildings constructed in the 1860’s and 70’s that housed multiple families. Residents were typically poor immigrants who had recently arrived in the U.S. Low paying factory jobs left immigrants with little living alternatives. Originally, there were almost no laws governing construction, and most were filthy, crowded, and lacked electricity and running water.

Photographer Jacob Riis To capture the harsh realities of tenement housing living, photojournalist Jacob Riis used photography. Riis published his photographs in a collection called How the Other Half Lives. Riis wanted to expose the problems of tenement housing and convince government & citizens to work together to find a solution. Jacob Riis

Writing Prompt Explanation Your task: Your relatives are putting together a family ancestry project for the next family reunion. You have learned that your great-great- grandparents lived in the tenements of NYC in the late 19th century. After reading a primary source account and viewing photographs of these tenement houses, write a speech in which you describe the layout, living conditions, and potential dangers that tenement occupants faced during the Gilded Age. Support your description with evidence from the text & photos. Due Monday, January 9th Use your Tenement Housing Organizer to help you organize the information and evidence you find today to aid in writing your prompt.

Primary Source Reading “Jacob Riis Describes Immigrant Life in the New York City Tenements, 1890.” This source provides a written description by Jacob Riis of the tenements he photographed them. As we read this source, write down evidence and information about the categories from this description on your organizer.

Tenement Floor Plan Living Room (10 x 12 ft) Bedrooms (6.5 x 7 ft) W.C. = community toilet (if available)

Tenements in Lower East Side, NYC

Alleyway between Tenements

Fire escape used as extension of living area

Children on the Fire Escape

Makeshift homes between Tenements

Inside a Tenement

Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom and Living Room

Fighting tuberculosis on the roof

Tenement alleyway

Inside a coal miner’s home

Tenement cellar

Residents sewing in tenement

Tenement living room

Another coal miner’s home

Rundown Homes behind Tenements

Class Review Lesson Outcome: Be able to explain the layout, living conditions, and potential dangers of living in tenement housing by analyzing primary source photographs and descriptions.