IMMIGRATION and URBANIZATION By 1900 more than half

IMMIGRATION and URBANIZATION

By 1900, more than half of the immigrants in the United States were southern and eastern Europeans from countries such as Italy, Greece, Poland Russia.

Most immigrants came to America on “steerage” the cheapest form of passage across the Atlantic Ocean.

After 1892, most European immigrants were processed through Ellis Island located in New York Harbor.

Most immigrants settled in large cities including New York, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee and Chicago.

Separating themselves into ethnic neighborhoods such as “Little Italy” or the Jewish “Lower East Side” in New York City. Immigrants spoke their native languages and practiced religious and cultural traditions.

How well they adjusted depended partly on how quickly they learned English and adapted to American culture.

Asian Immigration In 1910, Angel Island was opened in San Francisco Bay to process Japanese and Chinese immigrants.

Nativism As more and more immigrants flocked to America’s shores, a desire to restrict immigration called “Nativism” increased.

Nativists feared Catholic Immigrants from Ireland Italy would soon out number native-born Protestants.

Labor Unions opposed immigration arguing that immigrants would work for low wages and act as strike breakers.

Chinese immigrants were particularly disliked and in 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act which was not repealed until 1943.

Urbanization

In the cities and factories, immigrant workers toiled for long hours for little pay. Despite this, many found that the move had improved their standard of living.

To house the increasing numbers of urban dwellers, land owners began to build upwards rather than outwards and thus the “skyscraper” was born.

Tenements or multi-family apartments housed three out of four immigrant families.

Most urban cities suffered from crime, violence, fire, disease and pollution.

Political Machines City dwellers needed jobs, housing, food and police protection. Political Machines and Party Bosses supplied these essential city services in return for votes.

Political Machines created candidates that were dishonest and had only loyalty to the Party Bosses. City politicians often accepted bribes from contractors to give them contracts to run city services at greatly inflated prices.

The most infamous Political Machine was New York City’s Tammany Hall run by William “Boss” Tweed.

Political Cartoonist, Thomas Nast exposed Tammany Hall’s corruption and “Boss” Tweed was finally sent to prison in 1874.