14.1 - IMMIGRATION & URBANIZATION UNITED STATES HISTORY CHAPTER 14 PRENTICE HALL

The New Immigrants Immigrants had always come to America for economic opportunity and religious freedom. Until the 1870s, the majority had been Protestants from northern & western Europe. – “Old Immigrants.” Many German & Irish immigrants immigrated in the 1840s and 1850s. Between 1870 & 1914, the Irish & German were joined by “New Immigrants”, from southern & eastern Europe.

TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH VOCABULARY “ New” Immigrant steerage Ellis Island Angel Island Americanization “Melting Pot” Nativism Chinese Exclusion Act Urbanization Mass transit Suburb Tenement

New Immigrants Come to America In contrast to “old” immigrants who had come before the Irish and Germans, “new” immigrants were often unskilled, poor, Catholic or Jewish, and likely to settle in cities rather than farms.

Many came alone, hoping to save money & return home. They came from Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary, and Russia. After 1900, 70% of all immigrants came from eastern or southern Europe.

Immigrants Decide to Leave Home PUSH FACTORS- Come to America for a new start. PULL FACTORS- US offered special attractions. Ex. 1863 Homestead Act CHAIN IMMIGRANTS- following relatives or friends over.

Religious & political freedom PUSH FACTORS Persecution Economic hardship Lack of Jobs War PULL FACTORS Religious & political freedom Cheap land Factory jobs Family in the US

The Immigrant Experience Coming to America was a big risk. Most immigrants only had enough money for the tickets, nothing else. Usually, they only brought with them what they could carry- clothes, pictures of loved ones, instrument, tools of their trade.

The Immigrant Experience Most immigrants traveled in STEERAGE- The lowest levels of the ship. Cramped, no privacy, little ventilation

Immigrants Arrive at American Ports The first stop for ships at American ports was a processing station where immigration officials decided who could stay in the United States. Immigration officers conducted legal & medical inspections.

Most European Immigrants landed at Ellis Island in New York. Chinese & other Asian immigrants crossed the Pacific Ocean, arriving in San Francisco Bay- Angel Island.

Chinese in America (includes Mixed)

Immigrants Assimilate Into Society Most new immigrants stayed in cities, close to industrial jobs in factories. They lived in ethnic neighborhoods (ghettos) with people who shared native languages, religions, and culture.

Americanization- helping newcomers learn English and adopt American dress and diet. Settlement workers and immigrants alike believed that American society was a “melting pot” in which white people from all different nationalities blended to create a single culture. This model excluded Asian immigrants. However, most immigrants held on to their original cultures. Children were the first to become “Americanized”.

New Immigrants Face Hostility Immigrants often faced Nativism, which was the belief that native born white Americans were superior. Immigrants often were willing to work for less pay. Protestants were also suspicious of Catholics coming from Italy, Ireland, and Poland.

Natives often would sign restrictive contracts agreeing not to rent or sell property to Catholics, Jews, or African-Americans. Chinese Exclusion Act- prohibited immigration by Chinese laborers, limited the civil rights of Chinese immigrants and forbade naturalization of Chinese Residents.

Immigrants Change America Despite opposition, Immigrants changed America. They fueled industrial growth, acquired citizenship, elected politicians and made their traditions part of American culture. Mexicans & Chinese settled the southwest working on the railroads. The coal mines & factories of the northeast were powered by Irish, Polish, and Germans.

14.2 - Cities Expand & Change In the late 19th century, American came across a period of URBANIZATION. America’s major cities were manufacturing and transportation centers clustered in the Northeast, Pacific coast, and Midwest. Cities became magnets for immigrants and rural Americans.

Cities Offer Change Women’s opportunities also expanded in the cities. In addition to factory work, they could take in a boarder, do piecework, become a seamstress, a laundress or become domestic servants. Educated women found work as teachers or as secretaries.

Cities Offer Change Some laborers were stuck in poverty, but most immigrants began to enjoy a higher standard of living. Life in the cities was hard, but was preferred over the country. Churches, theaters, social clubs, and museums all offered companionship and entertainment.

Farmers Migrate From Country to City Many rural-to-urban immigrants moved to cities in the 1890s. The move from the farm to the factories was wrenching. Conditions in the work place were much different from the farm, dim lighting, cramped work space, rigid schedules, no “off” season. However, factories paid in cash. Cash and the excitement of city life was enough to attract people.

Technology Improves City Life Cities of the late 19th century began to take modern form. Skyscrapers began to mark the skyline. These 10 story-plus building used steel and artistic design to impressive all city-goers. Mass transit public systems that could carry large numbers of people fairly inexpensively also reshaped the nation’s cities.

Urban Living Creates Problems Growing cities faced problems caused by overcrowding and poverty. Most newcomers had to live with in walking distance of their factory. Housing was often densely populated and aging.

Housing Conditions Deteriorate Urban workers often found themselves living in Tenements. - low-cost multifamily housing designed to squeeze as many families in as possible.

Middle and upper class people who could afford the transit fares, slowly moved away from the crowded cities. Suburbs- were housing developments in the cleaner and quieter perimeter of the city.