4.5 - Urbanization USHC-4.5 Explain the causes and effects of urbanization in late nineteenth-century America, including the movement from farm to city, the changing immigration patterns, the rise of ethnic neighborhoods, the role of political machines, and the migration of African Americans to the North, Midwest, and West.

Introduction Cities developed as a result of geographic factors - first as centers of trade, then as transportation hubs and finally, with the advent of electricity, as centers of industrial production in the nineteenth century. They were affected by technological innovations such as the elevator, steel girders, suspension bridges, electric trolley cars, elevated tracks (‘els’), and subways that allowed cities to grow both skyward and outward. City populations grew as people immigrated from abroad and migrated from the farm to the city Farm technology played a role as farmers in all regions produced more and sold it for less, defaulted on loans, lost their land, and moved to the cities to find work .

Introduction (cont) Others were attracted to the city because of its rich cultural life and excitement. Despite the phenomenal growth of cities, the majority of the American people still lived outside of urban areas before 1920. In the late nineteenth century, immigration patterns changed as more and more immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe rather than northern and western Europe. While the Irish and the Germans who predominated prior to the Civil War had also been met with hostility and resentment from the native-born American population, nativism increased as Italians and Poles, Jews and Russians, came to dominate immigration.

Nativism and Restrictions on Immigration Nativism- anti-immigrant groups began to form. They often subjected immigrant groups to violence and discrimination.. Eventually this led to the legislature attempting to limit immigration, all acts were vetoed by the President. Late 19th century Nativism can be seen as an extension of Social Darwinism

Rise of Political Machines Immigration had a powerful impact on city politics. People voted for those who found them jobs and helped them through hard times. Immigrants gave their votes to neighborhood and ward bosses in gratitude for the help they had received, not as a result of any direct bribery. Although many political bosses were corrupt and routinely used graft and bribery in awarding city contracts, they also served an important role in helping immigrants to adapt to their new country. The power that immigrant groups gave to the urban political machine allowed the bosses to solve important urban problems despite the abuses that occurred under city bosses such as New York’s Boss Tweed.

Political Machines An unofficial entity meant to keep a certain party in charge Lead by a ‘boss’ who may or may not have had a political position Proved useful to poor people and immigrants by doing ‘favors’ in exchange for ‘votes’ Most famous was Boss William Tweed of New York Tweed ran Tammany Hall a political club that controlled the city’s democratic party. Tweed stole over 100 million dollars from the city He was exposed by cartoonist Thomas Nast

Where a mother’s vote is needed

Rise of Progressives Increasingly crowded city conditions led to problems with housing, sanitation, transportation, water, crime, and fire. The progressive movement developed as a result of the need to address urban problems and political corruption

The Great Migration Most freedmen had stayed in the South immediately after the Civil War. In the 1890s, the migration of African Americans from the South was the result of poor cotton yields due to soil exhaustion and the boll weevil, as well as the discrimination of Jim Crow laws, intimidation, and lynching. As farm prices fell, African Americans joined other farmers in the move to the cities for job opportunities. However jobs in mill towns of the South were not open to them. So African Americans headed to the West in search of land and to the cities of the North and Midwest. African Americans found discrimination in the cities.

The Great Migration (cont) They were the last to be hired and the first to be fired. Often used as strikebreakers, they suffered resentment of striking workers. They were relegated to the least desirable parts of the city in segregated neighborhoods. This movement intensified during World War I as more jobs became available and the movement of African American culture to the cities of the North and Midwest would result in a cultural renaissance in the post World War I period. In 1860 93% of blacks lived in the South, by 1930 less than 80% did. Most went to the northern cities.