IMMIGRANTS AND URBAN CHALLENGES I IMMIGRANTS AND URBAN

IMMIGRANTS AND URBAN CHALLENGES

I. IMMIGRANTS AND URBAN CHALLENGES • Mid-1800’s – Large numbers of immigrants crossed the Atlantic ocean – To begin new lives in America. • Between 1840 – 1860 in the U. S. – More than 4 million immigrants settled • Fleeing due to economic or political troubles – From Ireland or Germany – More than 3 million

II. Fleeing the Irish Potato Famine • Mid 1940’s, – Potato Blight is a disease that caused potatoes to rot left many families little food. • Died of starvation or disease – More than 1 million Irish • 3 million fled to the United States – Most were very poor

II. More on Fleeing the Irish Potato Famine • Immigrants settled in – Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania • Types of Jobs – Most worked at unskilled jobs or built canals and railroads; women worked as domestic servants for the wealthy • Religion – Most were Catholic

III. A Failed German Revolution • In 1848 Germans has staged a revolution – Why? Harsh Rule • Revolution failed, – Many of the educated and middle class fled to the United States – To avoid persecution caused by their political activities. • Others came for Economic reasons – Were working class Germans.

III. More on a Failed German Revolution • German Immigration groups were – Catholic, Jews and Protestants. • Settled in – Rural areas and established farms in Midwestern states • Others employed as: – Tailors, seamstresses, bricklayers, servants, clerks, cabinet makers and food merchants

IV. Anti-Immigration Movements • Industrialization in the North – Waves of immigration from Europe – Changed American Labor force. • Immigrants were – Attracted to the industrial jobs in the cities. – Because they were unskilled or desperate – They would work for less money. • Native born Americans feared – loosing their jobs to low paid immigrants • Many Americans felt threatened – Due to the cultures and religions of new immigrants

Opposing Immigration • Those Americans who opposed were called nativists • In the 1840’s & 1850’s – Nativists became politically active – Formed the KNOW-NOTHING PARTY • Know-Nothing Party supported measures – To make it difficult foreigners to become citizens – Hold public office

More on Opposing Immigration • The KNOW-NOTHING PARTY – Wanted to keep Catholics and immigrants out of public office, – requiring living in the U. S. for 21 years to gain citizenship • Looked for ways to stop immigration – Such as building walls or posting guards at ports and entrance points • Waves of migration and industrialization led to – Rapid growth of cities

V. Rapid Growth of Cities • The Industrial Revolution – led to the creation of many new jobs in cities. • The Transportation Revolution – Connected cities and – Made it easier for people to move to them

V. Rapid Growth of Cities • During the mid-1800’s most city growth – Northern and Middle Atlantic states • City Growth led to: – Business owners, industry owners and skilled workers • The growth of skilled workers and business created – “Social and economic level between the wealthy and the poor” known as the Middle Class

VI. URBAN PROBLEMS • Rapid growth in cities created problems – Public and private transportation was limited people had to live near their workplaces • Housing was expensive – Led to the development of tenements – Poorly designed apartment buildings that housed large numbers of people – Tenements were often dirty, overcrowded and unsafe

VI. URBAN PROBLEMS • Most cities had not yet developed – – – clean water systems, public health regulations sewer systems garbage collection. (In 132 and 1849 New York City suffered cholera epidemics that killed thousands) • No permanent police force in cities – Cities became centers of criminal activity