1. Business, Immigrants and Politics
Gilded Age
Business, Immigrants and Politics

2. Part I
Immigration

3. Immigrants
Come to America for various social, economic and political reasons (Europe and Asia)
Steam ships make this quicker than ever
The journey is not cheap or easy (many get sick due to poor conditions), many go into indentured servitude

4. Immigrants Most come in through NY (golden door)
Most choose to live in areas settled by other immigrants
Most face discrimination
The amount of discrimination varies depending on country of origin

7. US Immigration Laws
We begin to place standards on who is “fit” to be an American
Many quarantined or set back because they are sick
US actually limits or halts immigrations in different situations in the 1880s

8. US Immigration Laws
Chinese exclusion act (1882)- prohibits immigration of Chinese workers for 10 years
Gentleman's agreement- kept Japanese from being segregated as other Asians in California

9. Where were the immigrants then

10. Where are the immigrants today

11. Where do the immigrants come from

12. Where do the immigrants come from

13. Part II
Growth of Cities

14. Growth of Cities Millions head from farms to cities for jobs (50%)
Many wealthy leave the city for the suburbs (cars and trains help)
Restrictive Covenants- agreements not to sell to certain groups of people
Ghetto- areas of cities dominated by on ethnic or racial group

16. Slums and Tenements
Tenement- low cost apartments built very fast to house as many immigrants as possible
Slum- an area of tenements
Conditions were very poor (soot, open sewers and rats)
Disease common
Fire a constant threat (Great Chicago Fire)
Violence, Gangs & Crime

18. Political Machines
Rapid growth and increased demand for services make city governments more powerful
Political Machine- an unofficial organization designed to keep all political power in a city in one party or group headed by a powerful “boss” (Tammany Hall& Boss Tweed)
Immigrants like political bosses because they help when no one else will

20. Part III
Reform Begins

21. Ideas to Reform Society, Immigration, Cities, and Politics
A rise of immigrants to power evokes new feelings of nativism. Immigrants again become targets physically and politically
Temperance movement- effort to eliminate alcohol consumption, Prohibition (big dumb idea)
Various charity and goodwill movements to help the poor and needy in the cities.

22. Social Theories
Social Darwinism – applies survival of the fittest to society- those who can adapt will survive
Challenged by a new idea
Gospel of Wealth- If you prosper than you owe something to society-Carnegie (philanthropy)

24. Pop Culture
Saloons- seen as breeding grounds for problems-give rise to prohibition movement
Amusement parks- Technology and Money give opportunity (Coney Island)
Baseball- Red Sox in ‘03 (not that ‘03)
Vauedville- eclectic acts (primitive Letterman)
Ragtime- early jazz

27. Reform Salvation Army- aide and religious couseling to the poor
YMCA- prayer meeting, citizenship training, public facilities – low cost temporary housing
Settlement Houses (Jane Addams)- middle class people moved to poor neighborhoods to help –medical care, lunches, recreation

29. Public schools New industries need worker that could:
Complete monotonous tasks
Sit in one place for long periods of time
Understand simple directions
Achieve minimal intellectual skills
-Sound Familiar?

31. Land grants, not just for railroads
Land granted to colleges, mainly for industrial and agricultural purposes
Women’s colleges are established
The birth of the black college, Tuskegee (Booker T. Washington)
Public libraries- kind of like the Internet only slower

33. Reform Begins All of these things begin to help conditions in America
Much bigger reform movements are about to begin