1. Transforming American Society
New Immigrants
Growth of Cities
Life in the Cities

2. THE NEW IMMIGRANTS Came in search of opportunity and a better life
million old immigrants arrived in the United States
million New Immigrants arrived in the United States
70% from southern and eastern Europe
Came to escape poverty and persecution

3. New Immigrant Societies
Immigrants would generally move to urban industrial areas
They would settle in immigrant communities which made the transition to America easier

4. CONT… Immigrants came by way of ships
Accommodations were in the steerage-below deck in the ships lower levels
Came through Ellis Island or Angel Island
All were subject to a physical exam
Also questioned about their background, skills, and criminal records
Ellis Island Immigration Museum - Home

5. CONT… New churches started to spring up in communities all over cities
Helped immigrants keep a sense of identity and belonging
What immigrant communities are still in this area?
Benevolent societies were set up to help the poor immigrants by immunization and employment

6. IN THE WORK PLACE Immigrants were given the dirty jobs
Were paid less and worked longer hours than old immigrants
Were treated poorly by society
Blamed for crime, poverty, and violence

7. American Liberty and Exclusion
Welcome to Discovery Education Player
Immigrants came to America with the dream of golden streets
Found exclusion, poverty, and hate
Chinese Exclusion Act-denied citizenship to Chinese immigrants
Immigration Restriction League-wanted to impose literacy tests on all immigrants
Immigration continued despite the discrimination

8. Growth of Cities
Before the 2nd industrial revolution, most people lived on farms.
, the size of cities doubled
The development of the elevator and steel made skyscrapers possible
Decreased the size of cities
Mass transit extended U.S. cities outward

9. Cities Suburbs grew on the outskirts of cities
Upper and middle class moved to the suburbs
Nouveau riche emerge in the cities
Families that became newly rich such as Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Vanderbilt
Conspicuous Consumption-spent money freely-MTV cribs

10. Middle Class Middle Class also emerged
Professionals such as doctors and lawyers
Middle class women were not permitted to work
Roots of the women's movement start to emerge with women professionals

11. Lower Class
Most of the poor lived in tenements-poorly constructed apartments
Lived within walking distance of work-pollution and smell, raw sewage and garbage.
Rooms were the size of a classroom and housed families of One bathroom per floor
Tenement Museum | Virtual Tour

12. Lower Class Had little running water and many code violations
Building inspectors were paid to look the other way
Tenants who complained were evicted
Some citizens wanted reform
Poverty was confronted with settlement homes-community centers

13. Lower Class Social Gospel-Christian principals to social problems
Reform started for public education for children / Compulsory education laws
Reform for child labor
Cities were still on the decline
Disease will lead to the 1918 flu epidemic

14. Lower Class
Lower Class will make possible political corruption and Political Machines.
Why were new immigrants taken advantage of by democracy?
How did the lower class and city life contribute to the worst pandemic since the Plague? ( Page 372)