IMMIGRATION URBANIZATION UP SLUGGARD AND WASTE NOT LIFE
IMMIGRATION & URBANIZATION
“UP, SLUGGARD, AND WASTE NOT LIFE; IN THE GRAVE WILL BE SLEEP ENOUGH. ” -Poor Richard’s Almanac
Immigration 1870 -1910: 20 million immigrants entered the US Added to the labor pool Added to the demand for housing Added to the demand for goods
OLD Immigrants vs. NEW Immigrants
Immigration "Old" Immigrants 1820 - “New” Immigrants 18801924 1860 Protestants from northern and western Europe Irish, English and Germans Adopted the American culture (assimilated) Families came to stay Had money, were skilled and were Catholics and Jews from southern and eastern Europe Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary and Russia Didn’t assimilate quickly Birds of passage: making money then going back home Often came alone No money and no skills Settled in cities
Northern Europe: Old Immigrants Eastern Europe: New Immigrants Western Europe: Old Immigrants Southern Europe: New Immigrants
Eastern & Southern Europeans About 14 million immigrants from Italy, Greece, Poland, Russia, Slavic states Many were Catholic, Orthodox, or Jewish Came because of job and land availability, to escape religious persecution, to escape a fixed class system, and/or to live in a democracy
Where did European Immigrants enter the US?
Ellis Island New York Harbor Used from 1892 to 1954 to process immigrants Immigrants were medically inspected Unhealthy quarantined or sent back to Europe (only about 2% were denied entry) Now part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument
Statue of Liberty (1886)
An effect of rapid immigration. . .
The Know-Nothings The American Party (1849 -1860) Nativists Anti-Catholic Opposed immigration Played on prejudices and fears that immigrants would take jobs
Asian Immigrants Chinese: looking to escape famine, unemployment, and violent rebellions Often excluded from regular American society, so developed their own in “Chinatowns” Some limited Japanese immigration
Angel Island In use 1910 – 1940 Processed over 1 million immigrants Located in San Francisco Bay 75% of immigrants were detained for at least 2 weeks, some for up to 2 years
Ellis Island Inspections Angel Island Inspections
Chinese Exclusion Act Passed in 1882 Banned Chinese immigration for 10 years Chinese already here could not become citizens Renewed in 1892 Made permanent in 1902 Finally repealed in 1942 Led to a decline in Chinese population in US
Cartoon Analysis…
Ethnic neighborhoods “Cultural Pluralism” Immigrants preferred to stick together, form neighborhoods where it was safe to speak native language, continue ethnic customs, practice their religion These neighborhoods led to general distrust of immigrants by the native US population
Explain theory of America as a MELTING POT? ? ?
“Melting Pot” or “Mixed Salad”? Melting Pot = assimilation of multiple cultures into a new, blended “American” culture Mixed Salad = many different cultures thrown together, but little blending – each culture stands out
Urbanization Between 1870 -1900: US urban population soared from 10 million to 30 million NYC: 800, 000 in 1860, 3. 5 million in 1900 Chicago: 109, 000 in 1860, 1. 6 million in 1900 Immigrants tended to stay in cities Many poor farmers moved to cities for better paying jobs Many freed slaves migrated to northern cities to seek new opportunities
Appeal of Cities More jobs available Electric lighting Running water and sewer Abundance of goods Variety of leisure activities
Adult Entertainment Vaudeville Theater: collection of acts, including dancers, singers, acrobats, comedians, etc. (similar to “America’s Got Talent” but without judges) Dance Halls: large venues with live bands playing dance music Cabarets: bars or nightclubs which offered musical entertainment Saloons: neighborhood bars where working men ate, drank, talked politics and discussed current events
Family Entertainment Museums Libraries Amusement Parks: NYC’s Coney Island became a resort area after Civil War, first “attraction” was a carousel that opened in 1876 Spectator sports: Boxing, horse racing, wrestling, professional baseball
Skyscrapers As cities became more crowded, space became more valuable Inventions like high-quality steel and the Otis elevator made going higher the most practical solution Chicago architect Louis Sullivan generally credited with pioneering the “skyscraper”
Tallest Modern Buildings
Public Parks
Frederick Law Olmstead 1822 – 1903 Landscape architect Designed many major urban green-spaces, including Central Park in NYC and parks in Chicago, Washington DC, and other cities Also designed the grounds at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC
Mass transit Electric trolley: developed in 1887 by Frank J. Sprague, first used in Richmond, VA Subways: Boston in 1897, NYC in 1904 Major bridges, such as NYC’s Brooklyn Bridge (1883)
Upper Class “High Society” Wealthiest families, primarily industrialists like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts Built palatial houses, clustered in downtown districts
Middle-Class Doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, managers, teachers Lived in “streetcar suburbs” on edges of cities Average salary = $1100/year
The Working Class 75% of urban population Lived in tenement housing within easy walking distance of the industrial district Average salary = $445/year
Urban problems Violent crime: murder rate jumped 400% between 1880 and 1900; rate today is about ½ the rate of US in 1900 Pollution: especially of drinking water, but also of land air Disease: cholera, typhoid Fire: Chicago (1871), Boston (1872), Baltimore (1904), San Francisco (1906, caused by earthquake)
Tenements Small, extremely crowded apartment buildings (Dumbell Tenements) Whole families often lived in just one room, sometimes with only a single window for air Up to a dozen families might share a single bathroom Buildings were unsafe – hard to escape in a fire, little fresh air and close quarters led to spread of disease
Immigration reform: A moral imperative 1. 2. 3. READ THE MODERN IMMIGRATION ARTICLE AND RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN ESSAY FORMAT: How does the Author feel about the Modern State of Immigration in the US? What specific evidence does he provide? According to the Author, what benefits can Immigrants provide to American Society? Be specific? DO YOU BELIEVE OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS BROKEN? YES OR NO. EXPLAIN YOUR POSITION WITH SPECIFIC EVIDENCE!!!!!!
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