Immigrant Stories SFI Practice Create a Venn Diagram to keep in your notes. Compare the European s experience with the Asian s experience. Consider: Reasons for immigrating Preconceptions of the U.S. Daily life in the U.S. Treatment by Americans Did reality meet their expectations
European Immigrants Ellis Island Asian Immigrants Angel Island
Examine the pictures and graph. What can you infer about changes in American society? What might be causing these changes? What problems might result from these changes? NYC 1870 NYC 1910 Percentage of Americans living in rural v. urban areas
Urbanization
Urbanization Rise of Urban America 1870-1900 US Population doubled (city pop tripled) 40% of Americans in cities Skyscrapers + Elevators Mass transit (trollies) business, industry, and residential districts (res. segregated) Electricity, indoor plumbing, and telephones made city life more alluring.
Impact of Newcomers Neighborhoods based on ethnicities, and classes provided new cultural opportunities for city dwellers. Many immigrants tried very hard to retain their own culture and customs. Many children of the immigrants rejected Old World culture and plunged into American life.
Economics Wealthy (incl. nouveau riche) = 12% of families; 86% of wealth. Middle Class Managers, clerical workers, salesmen, teachers, doctors. WASP increased access to educational institutions Working-class often catholic, foreign, or black. 20% of children and 20% of young women in non-ag work Consumer Culture Result of leisure time Department stores provided jobs and attracted shoppers
Philosophy Social Darwinism justified the success of those at the top of the socioeconomic structure as both appropriate and inevitable. Social Gospel liberal protestants, artists, agrarians, utopians, socialists betterment of society through biblical principles of charity and justice Gospel of Wealth wealthy had a moral obligation to help the less fortunate enhanced educational opportunities and urban environments
Education, Literature, and the Arts Increased faith in education more public schools public lectures and at-home studies. Increased access to literature Libraries (ex. Library of Congress) Media competition sparked yellow journalism, (exaggerated, scandalous, human-interest) Magazines (New York Nation, Harper s, the Atlantic) liberal and reform minded dime-novels - depicted the wild West and other romantic and adventurous settings.
Education, Literature, and the Arts Other famous writers (only write a couple): Horatio Alger - rags-to-riches books told that virtue, honesty, and industry were rewarded by success, Kate Chopin - wrote about adultery, suicide, and women s ambitions Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) coined The Gilded Age Bret Harte - California gold rush stories. Stephen Crane - seamy underside of life in urban, industrial America (prostitutes, etc.) Jack London - wild unexplored regions of wilderness Frank Norris - corruption of the railroads. Paul Laurence Dunbar- used Black dialect and folklore
PAUSE (3 more to go, later) 5.3 Urbanization Stations: Leisure and Landscape Life in the Tenements Political Machines
Politics Access to power was unequally distributed Political machines thrived by providing immigrants and the poor with social services Immigrants were often controlled by powerful bosses (such as New York s Boss Tweed) who provided jobs and shelter in return for political support at the polls.
Entertainment Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus Wild West shows Baseball emerged as America s national pastime. Wrestling gained popularity and respectability. Basketball invented
Slums Deplorable conditions. Rampant crime - prostitution, cocaine, gambling, violent crime. Unsanitary conditions uncollected garbage, unwashed people, impure water, animal droppings Dumbbell tenement (50% of New York City housing)
Jacob Riis a voice for the urban immigrant
Gilded Age Web Using the images provided, create a visual that illustrates the connections between Industrialization, Immigration, and Urbanization Requirements: Each image must be connected to at least one (or 2?) other image. Each connection must have an explanatory caption or subtitle