Chapter 19 CITIES and IMMIGRANTS

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Chapter 19 CITIES and IMMIGRANTS

• AMERICA BECOMES A MELTING POT IN THE LATE 19TH
  EARLY 20TH CENTURY

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Section 1 Problems Arise as Cities Grow

• Urbanization
• Housing
• Row-House
• Tenements
• Dumbbell Tenements
• Transportation
• Water Sanitation
• Law Order
• Firefighting

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• Rapid urbanization occurred in the late 19th
  century in the Northeast Midwest
• Most immigrants settled in cities because of the
  available jobs affordable housing
• By 1910, immigrants made up more than half the
  population of 18 major American cities

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Americanization Movement

• Education program designed to help immigrants
  assimilate to American culture.
• Taught English and American culture.
• Urbanization the growth of cities.
• Immigrants lived in ethnic neighborhoods where
  people spoke the same language.
• People moved from the farms to the cities for
  jobs in the factories.

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URBAN PROBLEMS

• Problems in American cities in the late 19th and
  early 20th century included
• Housing overcrowded tenements were unsanitary
• Sanitation garbage was often not collected,
  polluted air

Famous photographer Jacob Riis captured the
struggle of living in crowded tenements
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URBAN PROBLEMS CONTINUED

• Transportation Cities struggled to provide
  adequate transit systems
• Water Without safe drinking water cholera and
  typhoid fever was common
• Crime As populations increased thieves
  flourished
• Fire Limited water supply, wooden structures
  combined with the use of candles led to major
  urban fires Chicago 1871 and San Francisco 1906
  were two major fires

Harpers Weekly image of Chicagoans fleeing the
fire over the Randolph Street bridge in 1871
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PHOTOGRAPHER JACOB RIIS CAPTURED IMAGES OF THE
CITY
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Jacob Riis
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Jacob Riis
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Jacob Riis
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Jacob Riis
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Jacob Riis
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Jacob Riis
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Section 1 Continued

• Segregation
• Great Migration
• Jim Crow Laws
• De Facto Segregation
• De Jure Segregation
• Ghettos

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Segregation

• De facto segregation exists by practice custom
  (choice)
• De jure segregation segregation by law.
  (difficult to fight this!)

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SECTION 2 POLITICAL MACHINES ACQUIRE MORE POWER

• As cities grew in the late 19th century, so did
  political machines
• Political machines controlled the activities of a
  political party in a city
• Ward bosses, precinct captains, and the city boss
  worked to ensure their candidate was elected

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ROLE OF THE POLITICAL BOSS

• The Boss controlled jobs, business licenses,
  and influenced the court system
• Precinct captains and ward bosses were often 1st
  or 2nd generation immigrants so they helped
  immigrants with naturalization, jobs, and housing
  in exchange for votes

Boss Tweed ran NYC
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MUNICIPAL GRAFT AND SCANDAL

• Some political bosses were corrupt
• Some political machines used fake names and voted
  multiple times to ensure victory (Vote early and
  often) called Election fraud
• Graft (bribes) was common among political bosses
• Construction contracts often resulted in
  kick-backs
• The fact that police forces were hired by the
  boss prevented close scrutiny

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THE TWEED RING SCANDAL

• William M. Tweed, known as Boss Tweed, became
  head of Tammany Hall, NYCs powerful Democratic
  political machines
• Between 1869-1871, Tweed led the Tweed Ring, a
  group of corrupt politicians, in defrauding the
  city
• (10 million)
• Tweed was indicted on 120 counts of fraud and
  extortion
• Tweed was sentenced to 12 years in jail
  released after one, arrested again, and escaped
  to Spain

Boss Tweed
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Immigrants

• Immigrants were put to work for the machines
  (those who spoke English).
• Would tell new immigrants to follow the bosses
  rules.
• The political machines helped immigrants become
  citizens, provided housing and jobs.
• Would get votes in return.

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Section 3 New Immigrants Arrive

• 19th century immigration
• Eastern Europeans
• Cultural Differences
• Language
• Religion
• Race

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Immigration Continued
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Melting Pot

• A mixture of people from different cultures and
  races.
• They blend together by abandoning their native
  languages and cultures.
• Become American

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FRICTION DEVELOPS

• Some immigrants tried to assimilate into American
  culture, others kept to themselves created
  ethnic communities
• Committed to culture, but tried hard to become
  Americans, many came to think of themselves as
  Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans,
  Chinese-Americans, etc
• Some native born Americans disliked the
  immigrants unfamiliar customs and languages
  friction soon developed

Chinatowns are found in many major cities
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EUROPEANS

• Between 1870 and 1920, about 20 million Europeans
  arrived in the United States
• Before 1890, most were from western and northern
  Europe
• After 1890, most came from southern and eastern
  Europe
• All were looking for opportunity

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LIFE IN THE NEW LAND

• Late 19th century most immigrants arrived via
  boats
• Trip from Europe took about a month, took about
  3 weeks from Asia
• The trip was arduous and many died along the way
• Destination was Ellis Island for Europeans, and
  Angel Island for Asians

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ELLIS ISLAND, NEW YORK

• Ellis Island- arrival point for European
  immigrants
• Had to pass inspection at the immigration
  stations
• Processing took hours, and the sick were sent
  home
• Immigrants had to show they were not criminals,
  had some money (25), and were able to work
• From 1892-1924, 17 million immigrants passed
  through Ellis Islands facilities

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ELLIS ISLAND, NEW YORK HARBOR
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ANGEL ISLAND, SAN FRANCISCO

• Asians, primarily Chinese, arrived on West Coast,
  gained admission at Angel Island (San Francisco
  Bay)
• Processing was harsher than Ellis Island
• Immigrants withstood tough questioning and long
  detentions in filthy conditions

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ANGEL ISLAND WAS CONSIDERED MORE HARSH THAN ELLIS
ISLAND
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Section 4 Demands Grow for Restrictions on
Immigration
As immigration increased, so did anti-immigrant
feelings among natives
Anti-Asian feelings included restaurant boycotts
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Nativism

• Favoring the interests of native-born people over
  foreign-born people.
• Anti-immigrant groups formed.
• Most native born Americans were Protestants.
• Did not like Jewish, Catholics, or Muslim
  immigrants.
• Catholics were attacked Jews were not allowed
  in certain public places.

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Congress

• Congress passed a literacy test requirement for
  immigrants to enter the U.S.
• Had to read 40 words in English.
• President Cleveland vetoed the bill.
• It passed in 1917 when Wilson was in office, even
  though he vetoed it.

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CHINESE

• Between 1851 and 1882, about 300,000 Chinese
  arrived on the West Coast
• Some were attracted by the Gold Rush, others went
  to work for the railroads, farmed or worked as
  domestic servants

Many Chinese men worked for the railroads
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Anti-Asian

• Americans were worried about jobs going to
  Chinese immigrants.
• Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 law where no Chinese
  immigrants were allowed to enter the U.S. for 10
  years.
• Law was extended another 10 years in 1892.
• 1902 Chinese immigration was restricted.
• Law turned over in 1943.

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JAPANESE

• In 1884, the Japanese government allowed Hawaiian
  planters to recruit Japanese workers
• The U.S. annexation of Hawaii in 1898 increased
  Japanese immigration to the west coast
• By 1920, more than 200,000 Japanese lived on the
  west coast

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Japanese

• 1906 San Francisco segregated Japanese children
  and put them into separate schools.
• President Theodore Roosevelt helped pass the
  Gentlemens Agreement of 1907-1908.
• Gentlemens Agreement Japans government agreed
  to limit the number of unskilled workers going to
  the U.S. if San Francisco stopped the segregation.

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Immigration Restrictions Continued

• Alien Land Law- prohibited Japanese from owning
  agricultural land