The Challenges of Urbanization Ch.7.2

What does urbanization mean? The technological boom in the 19 th century contributed to the growing industrial strength of the U.S. The result was rapid urbanization, or growth of cities, mostly in the regions in the Northeast and Midwest.

Assimilate = to make similar or to absorb Immigrants Settle in Cities Most of the immigrants who came to the U.S. in the late 19 th century settled in cities because they were the cheapest & most convenient places to live. Cities also offered unskilled laborers steady jobs in mills and factories. The Americanization movement was designed to assimilate people of wide-ranging cultures into the dominant culture. This social campaign was sponsored by the gov and concerned citizens.

Schools and voluntary associations taught immigrants skills needed for citizenship, such as English, U.S. History, and government. Subjects such as cooking and social etiquette were included in the curriculum as well to help immigrants learn the ways of native-born Americans. Despite these efforts, many immigrants did not wish to abandon their traditions. Ethnic communities provided the social support of other immigrants from the same country. This enabled them to speak their own language and practice their own customs and religion. However, these neighborhoods soon became overcrowded, a problem that was intensified by the arrival of new people moving to America’s cities from rural (or farming) areas.

Consecration= to declare or set apart as sacred Educational Opportunities To many new immigrants, free education seemed a miracle. One immigrant recalled her father had “brought his children to school as if it were an act of consecration.” Many immigrant adults worked long hours during the day and then went to school at night. They also had the opportunity of getting a free education. They were taught English, American history, and the fundamentals of our gov system.

Name two groups that settled in the cities: Why did people move to the cities? Around the turn of the century (1900), farmers began moving to the cities. On the nation’s farms, new machines replaced workers. As a result, many workers in the rural areas lost their jobs. Unemployed farm workers soon moved to cities to find jobs. Many of the southern farmers who lost their jobs were African Americans. Between 1890 and 1910 about 200,000 African Americans move from the South to cities in the North looking for work. They hoped to escape economic hardship and racial violence. However, many find prejudice and low wages in the North.

Urban Problems Today’s immigrants to urban areas often find that jobs are scarce. Many work in fast- food, laundries, car washes, dry-cleaners, or as house keepers. Some immigrants receive a gov subsidy until they can fully support themselves. Gov welfare wasn’t available to immigrants until the early 20 th century. City populations grew rapidly. This created many problems. One major problem was a shortage in housing. New types of housing allowed many people to live in a small amount of space. One type was known as the row house. This was a single-family dwelling that shared side walls with other similar houses.

San Francisco row houses Another type of housing was the tenements, multifamily urban houses that were often overcrowded and unsanitary.

Tenement housing

Street cars were introduced in San Francisco in 1873 A second problem in cities was transportation. Cities developed mass transit, transportation systems designed to move large number of people along fixed routes.

Cities faced problems supplying safe drinking water. New York and Cleveland built public waterworks but many city residents were still left without convenient water and had to get water from taps on streets in pails and then boil it for bath water. Many city dwellers got diseases like cholera and typhoid fever from contaminated drinking water. Cholera - Infection of small intestines from bacteria, main symptom is watery diarrhea and vomiting Typhoid fever – infection caused by Salmonella, symptoms are diarrhea and rash

By 1900, many cities had developed sewer lines and created sanitation departments. However, the task of providing hygienic living conditions was an ongoing challenge for urban leaders. Sanitation was a huge problem. People threw garbage out their windows. Sewage flowed in the streets. Horse manure piled up on streets. Factories spewed foul smoke into the air.

As the populations of cities increased, pickpockets and thieves flourished. New York was the for city to have an organized and full-time, salaried police department. It began in In most other cities law enforcement agencies were too small to have much impact on crime. Crime

Overcrowded and poorly built tenements and lack of water made fire especially dangerous. Major fires occurred in almost every large American city during the 1870s and 1880s. In addition to lacking water to combat blazes, most cities were packed with wooden dwellings, which were like kindling waiting to be ignited. The use of candles and kerosene heaters also posed a fire hazard.

In San Francisco, deadly fires often broke out during earthquakes. The Great San Francisco Earthquake took place April 18, The quake lasted for 28 seconds but fires lasted for four days. An estimated 1,000 people died. Over 200,000 people were left homeless after the fires. The fire burnt five square miles of the city. Property loss was estimated at 500 million dollars 28,000 buildings were destroyed

SF 1906 earthquake and fire

What problems were cities faced with? Cincinnati, Ohio established the nation’s first paid full-time fire department in By 1900, most major cities followed Cincinnati's lead. The invention of a practical automatic fire sprinkler in 1874 and the replacement of wood as a building material with brick, stone, or concrete also made cities safer.

Salvation= deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ Reformers Mobilize A number of social reformers worked to improve life in the cities. One early reform program was the Social Gospel Movement. Leaders of this movement preached that people reached salvation by helping the poor. Many reformers responded to the movement’s call. They established settlement houses. Settlement houses were community centers located in slum neighborhoods. Workers there provided help and friendship to immigrants and the poor.

Settlement Houses Many of the settlement houses were run by middle- class, college- educated women. The settlement houses also offered schooling, nursing, and other kinds of help to those in need.

One of the most well known social reformers was Jane Addams. She helped establish the Hull House. The Hull House was a settlement house that helped the poor of Chicago.

Politics in the Gilded Age Ch.7.3

The Emergence of Political Machines During the late 1800s, many cities were run by a political machine. This was an organized group, headed by a city boss, that controlled the activities of a political party in a city. The machine offered services to voters and businesses in exchange for political or financial support. Bosses also controlled city agencies that granted licenses to businesses, and funded construction projects. By controlling the cities’ finances, and by solving problems for voters, bosses won loyalty and influence.

What is graft? Name two ways in which political machines held power. Political Bosses Were Corrupt Many bosses were immigrants who had worked their way up in politics. They could speak to the immigrants in their own language, helping them find jobs and housing. In return immigrants pledged their votes. Political machines provided city dwellers with vital services. But as they gained power, many bosses became corrupt. They became rich through graft, or illegal use of political influence for personal gain. To win elections, some bosses filled the list of eligible voters with the names of dogs, children and people who had died. They then used those names to cast votes or themselves.

Describe two forms of corruption practiced by political bosses. Civil Service replaces Patronage Another illegal practice was the kickback. Workers on city construction projects would charge a higher price for their service and then “kick back” part of the fee to the bosses, who were also taking bribes from businesses in return for allowing illegal or unsafe activities For decades, presidents had complained about the problem of patronage. Patronage is the giving of government jobs to people of the same political party who had helped the candidate get elected. As a result, many unqualified and corrupt workers were hired. Explain patronage in your own words.

What do you prefer, patronage or merit system? Why? Reformers wanted to end the patronage system. Reformers called for a merit system, in which jobs in civil service (government administration)would go to the most qualified people, regardless of their political views. President Rutherford B. Hayes attempted to reform civil service, but when some members of the Republican Party objected, President Hayes decided not to run for reelection in 1880.

The Republican Party quickly divided over the issue of patronage hiring. The Republicans eventually settled on supporting an independent candidate, James A. Garfield. Garfield wins the election but turned out supporting reforming the patronage system. President Garfield’s vice- president, Chester A. Arthur, succeeded him as president. President Garfield also supported reform. He pushed through a civil service bill known as Pendleton Civil Service Act of This act created a Civil Service Commission to give government jobs based on merit, not politics.

Describe two effects of the Pendleton Act. The Pendleton Act of 1883 Business buys influence However, the Pendleton Act had mixed results. More qualified workers did fill government positions. But because politicians had no jobs to offer, they had trouble seeking $$$ from supporters. As a result, some politicians turned to wealthy leaders for financial support. This strengthened the ties between government and business. Political reformers in the late 1800s also addressed the issue of tariffs. A tariff is a tax placed on goods coming into or going out of a country. Most Americans believed the tariffs were necessary to protect U.S. industries from foreign competition. But tariffs did cause prices to rise. What is a tariff?

Tariffs- For 12 years tariffs were a key issue in presidential elections. President Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, tried, but failed to reduce tariffs. In 1890, Republican President Benjamin Harrison, who was supported by big business, signed the McKinley Tariff Act into law. The McKinley Tariff Act raised tariffs to their highest level.