Thousands of immigrants were arriving in Americas growing

Thousands of immigrants were arriving in America’s growing cities daily and these families often experienced culture shock as they tried to navigate life in their new communities. A growing group of social reformers were inspired by London’s Toynbee Hall - a settlement house where residents volunteered to help people in the community who were living in poverty. American reformers like Jane Addams decided to bring settlement houses to some of America’s growing urban centers. Addams and her friend, Ellen Gates Starr, established the Hull House in Chicago to help incoming immigrants access resources to meet their family’s needs. Problem: New immigrants struggled to find resources like housing, jobs, education, childcare, training, and healthcare. Solution: Creating settlement houses in urban communities to provide resources for immigrant families. Jane Addams Started the Hull House to offer resources to Chicago’s immigrants.

Jacob A. Riis Photographed “How the Other Half Live” to show the living conditions of people in poverty. mericans percentage of A m l al sm a ith w ” ge A ed The “Gild ciety appear better so e ad m lth ea w t an ag av living in extr off than reality. s like Jacob er rm fo re r fo ay w a e m Photo journalism beca le that a large gg ru st e th to n io nt te at A. Riis to bring ced in poverty. percentage of citizens fa ow the Other Half H ok bo s hi d he is bl pu Riis otos to wealthy ph s hi ed ow sh d an Lives e poverty so many Americans to expose th y day. people were facing ever Problem: The wealthy lived like royalty seemingly unaware of the dismal poverty that many others faced. Solution: Publish articles and use photography to show wealthy Americans what it was like for people in poverty.

Samuel Gompers Helped establish the American Federation of Labor to unionize workers. ”Mother” Jones Fought for safer working conditions, shorter work days, and to end child labor. Problems: Working conditions for laborers were unsafe and unfair. Many children were working dangerous jobs instead of getting an education. Solutions: Organize workers into Labor Unions to have a stronger voice and demand better working conditions. Pass laws to outlaw hiring children and require mandatory education Reformers in the Progressive Era were working hard to improve the lives of workers- both adult and children. Child labor was commonchildren worked in dangerous jobs. These children were unable to get an education. Adult workers were also up against many challenges. More immigrants meant more potential employees. Businesses could find replacements if employees complained about the long hours or hazardous working conditions. Reformers like Samuel Gompers and “Mother” Mary Jones worked to unify workers through labor unions to give employees a voice. Some unions organized strikes to stand up to powerful business owners to convince them to make wages fair and workplaces safe.

During the era of Reconstruction after the U. S. Civil War, Southern states had passed laws meant to segregate people in public places based on race. Violence was also an issue- between 1892 and 1903, 3, 000 African Americans were lynched across the South. African Americans argued that segregation laws violated the 14 th Amendment and the government should protect citizens from these discriminatory laws. They also wanted protection from violence. Homer Plessy was arrested for resisting segregation and refusing to obey a Jim Crow law. His case went before the Supreme Court. They ruled that segregation was legal as long as facilities were equal. Problem: Segregation was legalized when the Supreme Court ruled on Plessy V. Ferguson. African Americans continued living with inequality. Solutions: Provide better education and opportunities for African Americans. Organize to fight segregation laws and work for equal rights.

Reformers working to bring about racial equality during the Progressive Era had differing ideas on how to respond to segregation. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery and believed that education was the answer. He felt African Americans could create their own opportunities and still get a quality education. He established the Tuskegee Institute as an all-black college. W. E. B. Du Bois took a different approach. He felt African Americans needed to fight segregation rather than live with it. He founded the N. A. A. C. P. to organize African Americans to fight racial injustices. Booker T. Washington Founded the Tuskegee Institute to provide top quality education for African Americans. W. E. B. Du Bois Established the NAACP to fight segregation and expand equal rights for blacks. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Susan B. Anthony Led the NAWSA in 1890 to fight for states to give women voting rights. Problem: Women had very few rights and lacked the right to vote in elections. Solution: Unite women in organizations like NAWSA and NWP to work for women’s voting rights. Congress passed the 19 th Amendment in 1920 giving women the right to vote. Women had been trying to gain voting rights, or suffrage, since before the Civil War. In 1890, the movement to gain women’s suffrage gained strength. Susan B. Anthony led the National American Woman Suffrage Associate (NAWSA). This reform movement focused on trying to change voting laws state by state to expand voting rights to women. Progress was slow- by 1900, only 4 states, all of them in the West, had granted women suffrage. The Progressive Era helped reinvigorate the Suffrage movement and expanded the focus nationally.

Alice Paul Created the NWP and fought for a Constitutional Amendment for women’s National Woman’s Party suffrage. 1920 19 th Amendmen t In 1916, a young woman named Alice Paul formed what came to be known as the National Woman’s Party. The NWP differed from the NAWSA in that these women focused on passing a Constitutional Amendment for women’s suffrage. To expand awareness for their movement, Alice Paul petitioned the White House. She took her request directly to President Woodrow Wilson. She and other suffragettes were arrested for blocking the sidewalk. While in jail, Paul and her supporters went on a hunger strike. Jailers tried to force-feed them. The public became enraged. This brought enough attention to move Congress forward. The 19 th Amendment was passed in 1920.