September/October 2013 Immigration and Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution Causes Rise of the Railroad Industry Consolidation of Railroads Pools, Rebates and Networks Transcontinental RR expanded interstate commerce nationwide Availability of natural resources Coal Iron Steel New inventions Assembly Line, Bessemer Process Rise of corporations and big business J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, The Vanderbilts Large corporations forced smaller businesses to close Monopolies dominated industry

The Rise of Big Business Stock – ownership in a corporation (share in profits) Trust – corporation run by a single board of directors Monopoly – company controls all the business in an industry Dividend – company’s profits Corporation – business owned by many investors Sherman Anti Trust Act – 1890 government act that regulated trusts and monopolies

Big Business Leaders Thomas Edison – “Wizard of Menlo Park” John Rockefeller Standard Oil Trust Andrew Carnegie Immigrant and philanthropist Henry Ford Assembly Line Process Wright Brothers First in Flight

Life of Workers in the Industrial Age Triangle Factory Fire 1911 fire in Triangle Shirtwaiste Factory in NYC Caused by poor working conditions (faulty fire escape, locked doors..etc) Resulted in a change in working conditions (fire escapes, fire exits, unlocked doors…etc) Protected the safety of workers Child Labor Breaker Boys – coal miners Children paid less than adults

The Rise of Labor Unions Labor Union – an organization of workers coming together to fight for their rights. Result of poor working conditions, long hours and child labor Knights of Labor – 1869 American Federation of Labor – 1886 Skilled trades Strike – workers (labor unions) refuse to work until demands are met Black Lists and Yellow Dog Contracts – practices used by employers against workers

Life in the Cities Urbanization – the movement of people from the countryside to the cities Caused by rapid Industrialization and the rise of factories in cities Immigrants helped increase population

Immigration Push Factors – factors that caused immigrants to leave their home country Political and religious persecution Famine Disease Pull Factors – factors that attracted immigrants to the United States Job opportunities Rumors of streets paved with gold Family and friends already here Freedom

Where Immigrants Came From Old Immigrants Northern and Western Europe Before 1885 Castle Garden New Immigrants Southern and Eastern Europe After 1885 Ellis Island - check-in point used to process immigrants arriving from overseas Settled in Eastern United States due to available factory jobs for unskilled workers

Challenges Immigrants Faced The Voyage to America disease Assimilation – blending in with American culture (salad bowl vs. melting pot) Tenement Housing – poor, run down apartment buildings in urban areas, result of rapid growth of cities Found in crowded city slums Nativism – Americans who discriminated against immigrants and wanted America for American-born citizens only Fear that immigrants would take over jobs from American workers Chinese Exclusion Act – 1882 Barred Chinese (oriental) workers from immigrating to the United States Result of nativism in America

Help for Immigrants Settlement Houses – places for immigrants to receive aid and assistance in the cities Hull House – Chicago – Jane Addams Primarily taken care of by churches and private charities Education After 1870 education improved due to compulsory (mandatory) education laws required school through 6 th grade Public schools taught English to immigrants