1. Goal 5.01: Influence of immigration and rapid industrialization on urban life Goal 5.04: Describe the changing role of government in economic and political affairs Chapter 9: pages 332-353 Chapter 12: pages 397-400 Immigration/Reform

2. Immigration Until the 1880s, majority of immigrants to US had been Protestants from northern/western Europe (Irish and German…AKA “Old Immigrants”) After the 1870s, new waves of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe (Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Russia…AKA “New Immigrants”)

4. Push vs. Pull Why did people come to America? PUSH factors: War, religious persecution, starvation PULL factors: Opportunities, land, jobs, family already there

5. Immigration Immigrants usually traveled in the cheapest class of ticket, AKA steerage (crowded, dirty, illness) First stop for ships arriving across the Atlantic Ocean after 1892 would be Ellis Island in New York Harbor First stop for ships arriving across the Pacific Ocean would be Angel Island off of San Francisco (Chinese immigrants)

7. Immigration Most new immigrants stayed in the cities, close to industrial jobs in factories or sweatshops By 1890, most American cities had huge immigrant populations Immigrants clustered in cheap housing known as dumbbell tenements

9. Immigration In many cities, volunteers ran programs known as settlement houses, which helped immigrants learn English and adopt American customs Hull House: a settlement house run by Jane Addams Belief that America was a “melting pot” where white people from many different countries blended together to create a new culture. (African-Americans and Asian immigrants excluded from this idea)

11. Immigration Immigrants often faced nativism: belief that native- born Americans were better than newcomers (anti- foreigner, anti-immigrant beliefs) Extreme example of nativism: Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892, passed to outlaw immigration by Chinese laborers, limit civil rights of Chinese immigrants already in the US, and outlaw naturalization for Chinese residents

13. Urbanization Urbanization: more people (Americans and immigrants, even single women) moving to the cities Examples: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston Why? JOBS in factories, service industries Cities offered variety, excitement, and even a higher standard of living for some

14. Urbanization Things that change the landscape of cities: Electric trolleys and subways for transportation Skyscrapers change city skylines (10 story and taller buildings) Elevators, suspension bridges

16. Urbanization Parks and recreational spaces also became important Central Park in New York designed by landscape engineer Frederick Law Olmstead New consumerism – more people have extra $ to buy things to improve their standard of living Amusement parks create roller coasters Spectator sports (baseball becomes a national business in 1876) as well as horse racing, boxing, football, even basketball

19. Corruption in the Cities Presidents of the Gilded Age mostly weak: Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes Benjamin Harrison James Garfield (assassinated) Chester Arthur Grover Cleveland

20. Corruption Many government officials during the Gilded Age accepted bribes Honesty was the exception, rather than the rule Spoils system dominated government, where politicians gave jobs to loyal party workers, whether or not they were qualified

21. Corruption Scandals during Grant Administration: Credit Mobilier Scandal, 1872 Congressmen bribed to support transcontinental RR Whiskey Ring Scandal, 1875 Republican politicians get bribes from liquor industry

22. Corruption Political machines: organization helps political parties to gain supporters and money Tammany Hall: Democratic Party political machine in New York City William “Boss” Tweed: NY politician that was also the head of Tammany Hall

23. Corruption Political Machines could be dominated by a single “boss” at the top (Boss Tweed, for example, in NYC) and then enforced by captains or “ward bosses” at the bottom Gave jobs and government contracts to people who did them favors, like voting or graft

24. Corruption Examples of graft: Gave a company a contract, then received a kickback (illegal money) Accepted money from criminals in exchange for protection from police interference (Tammany Hall was funded by gambling and prostitution rackets!)

26. Thomas Nast Political cartoonist exposed corruption Targeted Boss Tweed and other govt officials Also created American symbols including donkey and elephant for Democratic/Republican parties

28. Reform Civil Service: idea that government workers get their jobs due to qualifications, keep their jobs regardless of which political party is in power Civil Service Commission created in 1883 with Pendleton Act Pendleton Act ended spoils system, required government workers to take a civil service exam to prove their qualifications

29. Reform Other changes bring more power to American voters: Initiative: gives people the power to put a proposed new law directly on the ballot by collecting signatures on a petition Referendum: Allowed citizens to approve or reject new laws passed by the legislature Recall: allowed voters to remove public officials from office before their terms were over

30. Reform Mugwumps: Republicans who left their party to vote for Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1884 (rejecting Republican corruption) Many became Democrats or stayed independent