CITIES IMMIGRANTS AND FARMERS CITIES Urbanization movement of

CITIES, IMMIGRANTS, AND FARMERS

CITIES • Urbanization – movement of people from the countryside into the city • The Reasons for Urbanization • Railroads made it easier to get to cities • “hubs” like Chicago and Atlanta really grew • Cultural opportunities • Museums, music halls, libraries, universities • Jobs

• Cities Face New Problems • Overcrowding in the slums • Tenements – low-cost rental housing barely meeting minimal living requirements • Whole families in single rooms • Many families sharing one toilet What would be some issues people living in tenements would face?

• Lack of Sanitation and Pollution • Most cities had no sewers • Raw sewage sometimes got into drinking water • Cholera and typhoid spread • Inadequate garbage pick-up and street cleaning • Factories released pollution • What are some ways sanitation and pollution concerns are handled today?

• Traffic Congestion • Vast Differences in Wealth

• Political Corruption • Many cities run by a “political machine” • Political machine – an organization, usually controlled by a strong leader or “boss, ” that get citizens to vote for its candidates on election day.

• Political bosses provided jobs and services to immigrants and poor residents in return for their votes. • Political machines used influence in city government to make profits. • Would political machines have been corrupt? How?

• Most famous political machine was Tammany Hall in NYC. • Boss Tweed the head of Tammany Hall • Reformers attacked Tammany Hall. • Thomas Nast – political cartoonist who attacked Tammany Hall • City riot of 1871 turned NYC elite against them

• Positives of political machines • Social services • Lent money • Provided jobs • Gave emergency assistance

IMMIGRANTS • The “Old” Immigrants (before 1880) • Came to escape religious and political prosecution • Find new economic opportunities • Most spoke English • Came to escape hardships • Irish potato famine

• The “New” Immigrants 1880 -1924 • Mostly from Southern and Eastern Europe • Generally Catholic, Jewish, or Orthodox Christian • Spoke little to no English • Many extremely poor and uneducated • Came to escape poverty What were some differences between new and old immigrants? Which faced more discrimination? Why?

• Establishing a new life • The Voyage Across the Sea • Most new European immigrants arrived in NYC at Ellis Island. • Many immigrants given new names • Most settled in cities in the Northeast and Midwest

• Challenges in the New Land • Unfamiliar with American customs and way of life • Could only find unskilled labor jobs • Many settled in ghettos • Ghettos – urban, poor neighborhoods usually containing people with the same ethnicity or race. • China Town, Little Italy. . . etc.

• The Process of “Americanization” • “Americanized” – assimilated into mainstream American society by learning its values and behaviors. • Assimilated – make similar to other Americans • Schools did this with immigrants What other group could you compare immigrants with at this time?

• Immigrants from Asia • Angel Island – in San Francisco, similar to Ellis Island, where Asian immigrants entered the U. S.

• Chinese Immigrants • Chinese came for gold • Left China due to warfare and economic hard times • Worked on the Transcontinental Railroad • 1868, Treaty of Burlingame, permitted free migration of Chinese immigrants.

• Faced persecution • The U. S. Naturalization Act of 1870 – permitted “whites and persons of African descent” to become U. S. citizens, but denied Asians this right. Why do you think this Act was aimed at Asians? Who pushed this law?

• Chinese Exclusion Act – banned immigration of Chinese skilled and unskilled laborers for a period of 10 years. Renewed. • Later prevented any Chinese who left the U. S. to return

• Japanese Immigrants • Came for economic opportunities • Gentlemen’s Agreement – Japanese government agreed to prevent the further immigration of workers from Japan to the United States. Who faced more discrimination, Chinese or Japanese? Why?

1 ST PERIOD • Vocab • Akur Ashley Brooke Kevin William Ariana • USA TP • Scott Christian Deziray Khalib Joshua • Activity • Paytin Naomi Dakota Hunter Patrick • Teacher • Blaine Tyler Jack Taylor Karla

3 RD PERIOD • Vocab • Juan Clif Nicholas Michaela Jadyn • USA TP • Carlos Johnathon G. Ryan Jonathon B. Cameron • Activity • Jacob Khalil Kaleb Kaya • Teacher • Gabe Caleb Jamie Xavier Keiora

6 TH • Vocab • Bryan Ali Sammie Ariyana Naishalee Tyler • USA TP • Breanna Brandon D. Nicholas Kreighton Nicole • Activity • Brandon B. Richard Christian Sebastian Carine Brianna • Teacher • Kellee Malik Anna Parker Joy Elijah

7 TH • Vocab • Yasmeen Abigail Leslie Vito Anthony Dorothy • USA TP • Madyson Aaron Destiny Trinity Jacobs S Nathaniel • Activity • Sarymar Matthew Julian Asaiah Jacob R Austin • Teacher • James Zoe Seth Daniel Hunter Gage

• The Rise of Nativism • Nativism – the belief that native-born Americans were superior to others, and that immigrants and their diverse cultural influences were undesirable. • Nativists believed “true” Americans were: • White • Protestant • English-speaking

• Anti-immigration societies sprang up. • Such as the Immigration Restriction League

• Compare attitudes toward immigration in the late 19 th-century and early 20 th-century to today.

FARMERS • The Problems of Farmers, 1870 -1920 • Crop prices dropped but expenses stayed high • Agricultural Overproduction • Main reason for drop in crop prices was overproduction. • More land available to farm • New machinery and techniques increased the amount grown

• International Competition • The Scarcity of Money • Not enough money in circulation. • How would limited money in circulation impact farmers?

• The Profits of “Middlemen” • Farmers sold to “middlemen” who then sold the crops to urban markets. • Middlemen would buy crops for cheap and store grain to sell later.

• High Shipping Costs • The High Costs of Manufactured Products

• Farm Debt and the Cost of Money • Banks saw farmers as a risky investment and charged them high rates of interest. • Inflation – when prices rise but money hasn’t changed value. • Farmers in debt favored inflation

• Deflation – decrease in the price of goods. • What was occurring at this time • Farmers believed the government would print more money or release more silver coins. ,

• Sherman Silver Purchase Act – law requiring the federal government to purchase a large amount of silver each month. • Believed it would increase the amount of money in circulation.

• Natural Disasters • Rural Isolation

• Farmers Organize • The Grange Movement • Organized by Oliver Hudson Kelley • The Grange was a national association of farmers’ social clubs. • Intended to break isolation and share farming techniques. • Tried to replace middlemen

• Granger Laws • Grangers blamed railroads for their problems. • Grangers elected to state legislatures and passed laws regulating railroads and grain storage rates.

• Railroads fought back. • Munn v. Illinois • One Granger law constitutional • Supreme Court ruled states could regulate private utilities if that utility was serving the public interest.

• Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad v. Illinois • Supreme Court ruled states could not regulate railroads if they went through more than one state. • Wabash invalidated many Granger laws

• The Interstate Commerce Act • First step toward government regulation of unfair business practices. • Prohibited giving different rates to different customers. • Banned price-fixing (pooling) agreements • Railroads required to publish rates • Interstate Commerce Commission created – first federal regulatory agency.

• The Populist Party, 1892 -1896 • Farmers Alliances – regional political associations formed by farmers. • In 1890 s, Farmers Alliances formed a new national political party called the “People’s Party” – better known as the Populist Party. • Believed the rich and bankers controlled the government

• The Populist Platform of 1892 • The “Omaha Platform” • Free coinage of silver • Direct election of Senators • Government ownership of railroads, telegraphs, and telephones • Secret ballots in elections • Progressive income tax – tax rate determined by income • Restrictions on immigration • 8 -hour work day • Limit presidential terms • Based on their platform, do you think the Populists were successful?

• The Election of 1896 • Depression of 1893 – Populists blamed it on the scarcity of money, which was backed by gold. • Populists argued free coinage of silver would increase money supply. • Bimetallism – the use of two metals for currency at a fixed relative value. • Would raise farm prices

• The Democratic Convention • President Cleveland defeated for nomination. • William Jennings Bryan won nomination. • “Cross of Gold Speech” – praised farmers and denounced banking interests for attempting to “crucify mankind upon a cross of gold. ” • Bryan was a “free silver” candidate. • Supported by Populists • Populists joined the Democratic Party – ending their independence

• The Election: Mc. Kinley versus Bryan • Republicans nominated William Mc. Kinley • Favored: • the gold standard • High tariffs • Non-interference of government in business • Mc. Kinley campaign had more money and support of wealthy • Election was very close – Mc. Kinley won.