Immigration and Urbanization Industrial Age Immigration and Urbanization

Immigrants from Europe Reasons for immigration to America: Religious, Political, Economic, etc. European Immigrants 1870 – 1920, 20 million came to US Before 1890, most from Western or Northern Europe. Ireland and Germany most often After 1890, most Eastern and Southern Europe. Italy, Russia, Poland. Many Jewish people arrive fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe.

Immigrants from Asia Asian Immigrants Smaller numbers Predominantly from China and Japan Arrive on West Coast 1851 – 1883, 300,000 Chinese Immigrants By 1920, 200,000 Japanese 1

Arrival in America Difficult journey by ship, one week from Europe, three weeks from Asia. Europeans arrive at Ellis Island New York Asians arrive at Angel Island in San Francisco Immigrants are given physical and documents inspected Treatment of Asian immigrants was harsher and fewer were admitted

Ellis Island 3 1892 – 1924, over 17 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island Greeted by the Statue of Liberty 40% of Americans can trace at least one ancestor to Ellis Island 2

Living in America Immigrants seek new opportunity Many are forced to take low paying and dangerous jobs in factories, mines, and slaughterhouses Ethnic communities offer comfort and a sense of belonging “Melting Pot” of cultures in cities like New York and Chicago

Anti-Immigration Backlash Rise of Nativism – favoring of native born Americans Discrimination in employment and on religious grounds Favoring of certain immigrants over others

Anti-Immigration Backlash Anti-Asian discrimination especially pronounced 1882 – Chinese Exclusion Act bans Chinese immigrants 1907 – “Gentlemen’s Agreement” limits Japanese immigration

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Cities Strain Under Growth Urbanization – Growth of cities in America From 1870 – 1920, urban population grew from 10 million to 54 million! Reasons for Rapid Growth Immigration Lack of farm work due to improved technology Promise of industrial jobs Infrastructure of cities was stressed to the limit

Urban Problems Poor housing – crowded tenements Transportation – transit systems like street cars weren’t enough, horses caused sanitation problems Lack of clean water Lack of sanitation systems Rampant crime Fire 7

Tenements in NYC 8 New York City - 1895 Great Chicago Fire 1871

Addressing Urban Issues Jacob Riis – Photographer – exposes poverty and terrible conditions in How the Other Half Lives Americanization Movement – helps immigrants assimilate and teaches literacy, American social norms Social Gospel – Christian idea of helping poor – results in settlement houses-created to help immigrants and urban poor Jane Addams’ “Hull House” in Chicago – most famous

1. from http://mylawriting.blogspot.com 5. from hist346gildedage.homestead.com  6. from http://birthrightearth.org 7. from http://historymatters.gmu.edu 8 from http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com 9 from steinhardt.nyu.edu