MODULE 4
Why Did The Immigrants Come Here? Between 1870 & 1920, about 20 million Europeans immigrated to the U.S. PROMISE OF A BETTER LIFE New ships helped more people immigrate 1. Escape religious persecution Russians forced Jews out 2. Improve their economic situation (jobs) (Birds of passage) Birds of Passage people who moved to America temporarily to earn money then return back to their homeland. 3. Experience greater freedom in the U.S. Religious and Political Freedom 4. Escape difficult conditions (famine, land shortages from rising population) European Population doubled Cheap American crops forced European farms to close Industrialization and farming no need for peasant farming
Push Factors: negative home conditions that impel the decision to migrate, e.g., loss of job, lack of professional opportunities, overcrowding, famine, war, pestilence Pull Factors: positive attributes perceived to exist at the new location, e.g., jobs, better climate, low taxes, more room, professional opportunities Ethnocentrism: tendency to view one s own culture and group as superior to all other cultures and groups
Old vs. New Immigrants Old immigrants: 1800 1890 10 million immigrants came from northern and western Europe (GB, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavian countries) Mostly Protestants New Immigrants: 1890 1910 70% of the 12 million immigrants entering the US came from southern and eastern Europe (Hungary, Russia, Italians, etc) Mostly Catholic, Jewish, Greek Orthodox Also thousands of Chinese, Japanese, Arabs Increase of Immigrants to America caused social, economic and political problems Europeans 1870-1920 20 million immigrants Came from Southern and Eastern Europe Over 1 million from Italy, Austria-Hungry and Russia Religious Persecution Russians forced the Jews out Pogroms violent Russian organizations Population boom 400 million, scarce land Farmers were forced to leave
Old Immigration
New Immigration
New Immigration
Immigrants from around the World Chinese Over 300,000 came to the west coast Gold rush, Jobs on the Railroads Congress limited Chinese Immigrants in 1882 Chinese exclusion Act 1882 banned entry to all Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and gov t officials Japanese Japanese moved to the US in great numbers High wages. West Indies (Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico) Industrial boom in America Mexicans Find work, flee political turmoil 1902 National Reclamation Act Irrigation of dry land in western part of USA
Life in the New Land Life in the New Land A difficult Journey Steamship trip to cross Atlantic took one week, crossing the Pacific took three weeks Steerage section: lowest level of the ship Cheapest price, louse-infested bunks, poor food, disease, and death Contract Laborers: worked as slaves in exchange for their passage being paid to reach the U.S.
Ellis Island: Ellis Island - NY Most European immigrants to the U.S. arrived in New York and had to pass through immigration station located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor Immigrants were carefully health screened and could only bring 100lbs of belongings 1. Check for serious health problems Diseases, tuberculosis 2. Document checks Cant commit a felony Able to work Some money Name change Schon Vergessen Sean Ferguon Only 2% were prohibited from entering the country
Here Are The Exact Questions Used: 1.What is your name? 2. Have you ever been to the America before? 3. Do you have any relatives here? If the answer was yes, then asked where they lived. 4. Is there anyone who came to meet you at Ellis Island? 5. Who paid for your passage? 6. Do you have any money? ( If the answer was yes then immigrant was told: Let me see it.) 7. Do you have a job waiting for you in America? 8. Do you have a criminal record?
Angel Island: Not all immigrants came through Ellis Island Angel Island - Immigration station for the Asian immigrants arriving on the West Coast- San Francisco. Chinese, Japanese Inspection process more difficult than on Ellis Island. (filthy conditions, harsh questioning)
Immigration Restrictions: America started to be called a MELTING POT - Many cultures & races had blended But, many immigrants refused to give up their culture.
The Rise of Nativism: Some Americans didn t like so many immigrants living in the U.S. Disease, poverty, crime, pollution, drinking Scared of their beliefs (religion and culture) Cheap labor robbed them of jobs (work for less than a Native born American) NATIVISM- preference for native-born Americans. Nativism Thought new immigrants were not able to Americanize Undermined social life Immigrants = hard workers for very cheap 1. Gave rise to anti-immigrant groups Immigration Restriction League 2. Led to a demand for immigration restrictions. Congress, pressured by the Immigration league Passed a literacy test law Read 40 words in English or in their native language
Anti-Asian Sentiment: Chinese immigrants worked for low wages this took jobs from native born Americans Labor groups pressured politicians to restrict Asian immigration. CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT 1882 - Banned all but a few Chinese immigrants Not lifted until 1943. 1906 the local San Francisco board of education segregated Japanese students into separate schools Gentlemen s Agreement (1907 1908): Japan s gov t limited # of unskilled workers entering the U.S. in exchange for President Theodore Roosevelt repeal the segregation of Japanese
Section 2 Urbanization
Urban Opportunities: Many immigrants settled in cities in the early 1900 s Jobs were available Cheap places to live Forms of transportation were limited Walking Cities Cities began to become overcrowded Urbanization - the rapid growth of cities. Farmers also moved into the city new technology = less farming jobs Urban Population grew by 44 million 1/3 lived in the city 1890 ½ lived in the city 1910
Americanization Movement: Americanization Movement Was designed to assimilate people of wideranging cultures into the dominant culture. Our government wanted to help immigrants learn more about the USA Schools taught them English, American history, and government. Cooking, Social etiquette However, Many Immigrants did not want to abandon their traditions Moved to ethnic neighborhoods Little Italy, China Town Ethnic neighborhoods became over crowded Rural farmers started to move to the city.
Urban Problems: Housing options Rent cramped rooms in a boarding house New types of housing 1)Row house apartment type homes 2)Tenement Multifamily urban houses often overcrowded & unsanitary Multiple families living in one apartment NYC had 43,000 tenement buildings 1.6 million people Sanitation was a problem 1 restroom per floor, sewage in the streets, factories next to apartments, no windows 2. diseases spread
Urban Problems Cities couldn t keep up with high population Dirt Roads Little paved roads Chicago 1400 miles of dirt roads Tenement Houses Cheap housing was needed Often located next to factories Convenience African Americans lived in segregated buildings Sewer systems Chicago River was a river of sewage Garbage Garbage piled up in the streets Fire Department
Tenement Houses
Suburbs/CLE
Mass Transit: Transportation also became a huge issue. Cities developed Mass Transit transportation systems designed to move large numbers of people along fixed routes. More were needed to keep up with demand 1. Street cars introduced in San Francisco in 1873 2. Electric subways introduced in Boston in 1897
The Great Chicago Fire: 1871 Fire burned for 24hrs. An estimated 300 people died 100,000 were left homeless More than 3 square miles of the city center was destroyed. Property loss was estimated at $200 million. 17,500 buildings were destroyed.
Reformers Help the Poor: Social Gospel movement - Early reform program Leaders preached that people reached salvation by helping the poor Settlement Houses - Community centers located in slums that helped & friendship for poor & immigrants. Jane Adams
Section 3 Politics in the Gilded Age
Political Machines: Political Machine - an organized group, headed by a city boss, that controlled activities in a city. Since cities were so crowded, the local government couldn t control everything The Boss corrupt political machines Listened to urban constituents Designed to keep political party in power During late 1800 s, many cities were run by a Organized as a pyramid Boss Precinct captains Ward bosses Helped gather votes Offered services to voters & businesses in exchange for political or financial support.
The Role of the Political Boss: What else did the bosses do: 1. Controlled access to jobs Granted jobs to people who supported the boss 2. Built parks, sewer systems, and waterworks. 3. Gave money to hospitals, schools, and orphanages. So that..people would vote for them!!
Immigrants and Bosses: The immigrants liked the idea of political machines and bosses. Why? 1. Many of the bosses were immigrants themselves they spoke their language and battled the same hardships. Understood immigrant problems 2. They helped the immigrants with Naturalization full American citizenship. 3. Helped them get jobs and houses And in return VOTES!!!
Election Fraud and Graft: Many Bosses got rich through GRAFTthe illegal use of political influence for personal gain. Example: By helping a person find work on a construction project for the city, a political machine could ask the worker to bill the city for more than the actual cost of materials and labor. The worker then kicked back a portion of the earnings to the machine. The NY City Courthouse was built using Graft money
The Tweed Ring: Boss Tweed (William M. Tweed) became the head Tammany Hall- NYC s powerful Democratic political machine. Boss Tweed led a group of people (Tweed Ring) in defrauding the city for millions of dollars. https://www.awesomestories. com/asset/view/william- Tweed-Boss-of-Tammany- Hall1
Unfortunately graft and corruption still exist in government today. See below right a Darcy cartoon from the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the Cuyahoga County corruption scandal that surfaced in 2010.
Does history repeat itself? Jimmy Dimora William Boss Tweed
September 18, 2010, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora plead not guilty to 28 count of bribery, extortion, mail fraud, wire fraud, falsification of records, and obstruction of justice such as: 13. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting home improvement goods and services -- granite countertops -- from John Valentin and Salva Stone, in exchange for help with an immigration issue for a friend of Valentin's; Valentin did not bill Dimora, but Dimora paid $250 to Valentin by check upon learning that FBI was investigating other bribery issues. 17. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting home improvements, sports memorabilia, and financial assistance from Neiheiser and Reliance Mechanical in exchange for Dimora making it possible for Neiheiser and Reliance Mechanical to win a contract for work at the Juvenile Justice Center although they had not initially been the lowest bidder. 20. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting home improvements, $33,000 in cash, meals, and entertainment from 2004 to 2008, from Steve Pumper, DAS, Green-Source and others, in exchange for award of county construction projects. Charges Dimora received $33,000 in cash in exchange for clearing up delays related to sale of a parking garage to the county. Charges Dimora with receiving $27,225 of work "above and beyond amounts Dimora paid" for construction at Dimora's home from DAS -- construction of a grill area, barbecue shelter, patio floor, and roof. DAS received millions in County construction contracts on which Dimora voted.
Eventually They Got Busted! In 1871 the ring was broken. Tweed was indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion and was sentenced to 12 years in jail. His sentence got reduced to 1 year but he got in trouble again and was arrested. While serving this sentence, he escaped to went to Spain. Spanish police identified him from a Thomas Nast cartoon
1. What is the significance of the word LAW on the torn piece of paper? 2. What affect do you think Nast wanted to have on his audience?
Patronage: Patronage: giving of government jobs to people of the same party who had helped a candidate get elected. Shouldn t the job go to the most qualified? Civil Service- Government jobs Reformers proposed that civil service jobs would go to the most qualified, regardless of political views. Pendleton Civil Service Act - Created a civil service commission to give government jobs based on merit, not politics Public offices became more honest Politicians tuned to other sources
President Hayes: President Rutherford B. Hayes attempted to reform civil service Some members of Republican party objected Only won with 1 electoral vote Popular vote went to Samuel Tilden American Public did not support Hayes and many thought the election was corrupt He decides not to run for reelection (no support)
Garfield s Assassination: Stalwarts opposed change in patronage system. Reformers supported changing the system New President James Garfield attempts to reform the patronage system and is assassinated James Garfield was assassinated Charles Guiteau Garfield didn t hire him Chester A. Arthur Garfield s VP - Becomes the new President