2. Why Immigrants Came? Jobs - factories, mines, railroads, farms Free Land - Homestead Act Education – free public schools Freedom – political and religious

3. Violent massacres of Jews in Russia in the late 1880’s Pogroms Many immigrants came to have religious freedom and escape religious persecution, such as the Pogroms in Russia.

4. How Many Came? Between 1865 and 1920 About 30 million came Nearly doubled population of U.S.

5. Immigrants “Old” & “New” 1865 – 1890 Germany England Ireland Western Europe 1890 – 1920 Italy Jews from Russia Poland Greece Eastern and Southern Europe

6. Russian-Jewish Immigrants 1911

7. Hungarian Immigrants 1920

8. How They Came Steam powered ships Crossed the Atlantic in 2 – 3 weeks

9. A famous steamship from 1912 The RMS Titanic – the largest, most luxurious passenger ship of the time (2222 passengers)

10. The Main Staircase on the Titanic

11. Parlor on the Titanic

13. Steerage Large open area beneath a ship’s deck near the steering mechanism Cheap tickets Limited toilet facilities No privacy Poor food

14. 1875 Steerage Rates from Europe to New York Average Fair: Adults $22 Children $12 Infants $3

15. Typical Steerage Accommodations

16. What happened when they arrived? Most Europeans came in through the port of New York – Ellis Island Subjected to physical exams and quarantined or sent back if found to be diseased

17. Ellis Island Huge reception area in New York harbor near the Statue of Liberty Opened by federal government in 1892 for steerage passengers entering the country

18. Ellis Island, New York

19. Ellis Island Registry Room, 1905

20. Where did many of these European immigrants settle after crossing the Atlantic by steam ship? The port cities where they entered: New York Boston Baltimore

22. Ghettos Ethnic communities within a city Chinatown Little Italy

24. Asians Mostly Chinese Settled in California Most worked on railroads or mining Worked for extremely low wages

25. Chinese immigrants working on the Central Pacific Railroad

26. Chinese man in traditional clothing, 1900

27. Look closely at the following picture of Chinese immigrants. What can you infer from the picture?

28. Chinese Immigrants 1900

29. Mexicans Settled largely in the Southwest (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California) Agricultural jobs Built Southern railroads Accepted hard jobs for low wages, especially after Chinese were excluded from immigrating

30. How did many Americans respond to the huge numbers of new immigrants?

31. Nativists and Nativism Native-born Americans who opposed immigration, because they believed that many of these “new immigrants” would never fit into American society.Native-born Americans who opposed immigration, because they believed that many of these “new immigrants” would never fit into American society. Thought schools should Americanize immigrants by teaching English and “Anglo-Saxon” values.Thought schools should Americanize immigrants by teaching English and “Anglo-Saxon” values.

32. Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 – Law that prohibited any new Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. Labor unions claimed that American wages were dropping because Asian immigrants accepted such low pay. Law was in effect until 1943

33. Immigration Brings Rapid Urbanization

34. Urbanization The growth of cities (urban areas)

35. Philadelphia c.1890

36. New York City c. 1900

37. Urban Living Conditions Crowded - Insufficient adequate housing Air Pollution – soot from factories made the air dark and foul Water Pollution - Poor sanitation – human and animal waste, garbage, rats in streets Diseases - Tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid Fire – Wooden buildings burned rapidly – No fire/safety codes Great Chicago Fire of 1871 –18,000 buildings destroyed –250 died

38. Great Chicago Fire of 1871

39. Tenements Low-cost apartment buildings No windows in some rooms Crowded No electricity No plumbing Sinks and toilets in hall or basement

40. Dumbbell Tenement Design Improvement: Courtyard in middle allows window in every room Windows

41. New York Tenement, c.1890

42. Tenement living c.1890

43. How did these conditions affect politics in the cities?

44. Political Machines Corrupt powerful organizations that worked to keep a particular political party elected to city offices, such as mayor Usually run by a party “boss” The boss either ran for office himself or chose someone else whom he could control. Promised new immigrants favors and help in return for their vote

45. Tammany Hall The most famous political machine Ran the NYC Democratic Party “Boss Tweed” Featured in the movie, Gangs of New York

46. “Boss” William Tweed

47. Boss Tweed: “As long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it?”

48. What will it take to change the filth, disease, crime and corruption in the cities of America in the Gilded Age?

50. Social Reform Efforts to improve society by –Aiding and educating the poor –Eliminating evil or destructive elements 24

51. Jacob Riis Immigrant from Denmark 1870 Lived in NYC tenements Became a newspaper reporter Wrote How the Other Half Lives, exposing the terrible conditions in tenement slums 25

52. Prohibition Movement to legally abolish alcohol in the U.S. Supporters blamed immigrants for a large portion of the alcohol-related problems in the nation. 26

53. Social Gospel Movement Churches sought to address problems like drinking and gambling by applying Jesus’s teachings to society. Sought labor reforms and improved living conditions for workers 27

54. Education Schools aimed at assimilating immigrants into society. Immigrants sought literacy and civic skills needed to gain citizenship. 28

55. Settlement Movement Reformers who believed that hand-outs did not help the poor They would settle among the needy to witness their plight first-hand and offer social services through “settlement houses.” 29

56. Hull House A “settlement house” in Chicago Opened by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr in 1889 Provided child-care, playgrounds, clubs and children’s summer camps, legal offices and a health clinic 30

57. Jane Addams c. 1896

58. Hull House

59. Hull House Museum in Chicago today

60. Purity Crusaders Sought to end the vices (immoral behavior) such as alcohol, drugs, prostitution and gambling Formed societies that supported candidates for office and sought legislation to end vice and corrupt political machines 31