Chapter 19 CITIES and IMMIGRANTS AMERICA BECOMES A MELTING POT IN THE LATE 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Section 1: Problems Arise as Cities Grow Urbanization Housing Row-House Tenements Dumbbell Tenements Transportation Water & Sanitation Law & Order Firefighting

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

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.

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

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 Harper’s Weekly image of Chicagoans fleeing the fire over the Randolph Street bridge in 1871

PHOTOGRAPHER JACOB RIIS CAPTURED IMAGES OF THE CITY

Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis

Section 1 Continued Segregation Great Migration Jim Crow Laws De Facto Segregation De Jure Segregation Ghettos

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

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

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

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

THE TWEED RING SCANDAL William M. Tweed, known as Boss Tweed, became head of Tammany Hall, NYC’s 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

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.

Section 3: New Immigrants Arrive 19th century immigration Eastern Europeans Cultural Differences Language Religion Race

Immigration Continued

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

Chinatowns are found in many major cities 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

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

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

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 Island’s facilities

ELLIS ISLAND, NEW YORK HARBOR

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

ANGEL ISLAND WAS CONSIDERED MORE HARSH THAN ELLIS ISLAND

Section 4: Demands Grow for Restrictions on Immigration As immigration increased, so did anti-immigrant feelings among natives Anti-Asian feelings included restaurant boycotts

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.

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.

Many Chinese men worked for the railroads 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

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.

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

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

Immigration Restrictions Continued Alien Land Law- prohibited Japanese from owning agricultural land