1. Immigration, Urban Growth & Urban Reform

2. Patterns of Immigration
: “Old Immigrants”
Mainly originated from Northern Europe
Many became farmers and moved west
Some Asians arriving on the west coast
: “New Immigrants”
Tended to be darker and poorer
Originated from Mexico, Asia and Southern and Eastern Europe
Tended to be non-Protestant: Catholic, Jewish
Highest volume of legal immigrants
15% of the population was foreign born
In the cities 30% were foreign born

3. Arguments over Immigration
The frontier closed and there was no more free or cheap land
American industry had sufficient labor and new immigrants took jobs away from natives
New immigrants were difficult to assimilate
New immigrants were inferior
Political machines
They did assimilate as well as Old immigrants
Both the migrants from the farms and immigrants contributed to urban problems
More workers were necessary
New immigrants contributed to American life

4. Urbanization 1860-1890 Shift to urban/industrial society
Evident in shifting statistics
Created a distinct urban culture
Ethnic enclaves
Explosive urban growth
Frederick Jackson Turner
Trade had fueled early urban centers

5. Causes of Modern Urban Growth
By late 19th century railroads fueled city growth
Elevators
Streetcars
Replaced mule drawn streetcars
SF—cable cars
Exploration of subways
Mass transit allowed for sprawl—growth of the suburbs

6. Problems of Urbanization
Tenements
Jacob Riis
Dumbbell tenement
Sanitation and public health issues
Disease
Higher death rate
Cities provided limited public services
Increase in crime
Overcrowding
Corrupt police
Laissez faire policy meant little planning for urban growth

7. Politics
Political machines existed in most cities--these varied from place to place
Harnessed voting power of immigrants
City bosses--goal: to win votes for their political organization
Used many approaches to do this:
Machine supporters were often rewarded with jobs in city government, agencies or transit system
Graft and corruption allowed them to make money
Positive achievements:

8. Boss Tweed Leader of Tammany Hall in the 1860s NYC Democratic Party
Famous for taking kick-backs
Brought down by Political Cartoons
Gilded Age boss: George Washington Plunkitt
Ultimately political machines need to adapt to changing politics

9. Investigative Journalism
Muckrakers
Exposed corruption, dishonesty, graft
Attacked the social ills of the age (slums, prostitution)
Examples:
Ida Tarbell—A History of Standard Oil
Lincoln Steffens—The Shame of the Cities
Jacob Riis—How the Other Half Lives
Upton Sinclair—The Jungle
Passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act—1906
Mass circulation of newspapers and magazines
Yellow journalism

10. Progressivism: Social Democracy
Not a single cohesive movement
Mid-way between laissez-faire and socialism
Socialist party is active in the United States
public ownership of utilities
destroy capitalism
Corrective measure--reduce abuses
Did not threaten corporate dominance or alter capitalism
Optimistic view of the state--use for social and economic betterment

11. Progressive Reform Efforts in the Cities: Social Reform
Heart of progressivism
Assumes that people misbehave because of experience in society
Change experience not the individual
Moral reform efforts
Campaign to end prostitution
“White slavery”
Effects of the campaign

12. Women led Reform Efforts
Jane Addams—led the settlement house movement
Women taught classes in
children’s health
vocational training
fought for sanitation, public health and improved labor conditions
Social Housekeeping