Urbanization Immigration, job opportunity and a population explosion led to massive post-Civil War urbanization. By 1890 NYC, Philadelphia and Chicago were all over 1 million. – crime, poverty, slums, pollution and the rise of tenements (overcrowded dirty apartments). Louis Sullivan’s “skyscraper” allowed cities to grow up – Made possible by invention of elevators & steel Electric trolleys allowed cities to grow out

Restrictions on Immigration Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) – Chinese immigration banned Anti-foreign organizations urged slowdowns in immigration especially from Catholic Italy and voted to ban Catholic and Jewish candidates from office. Ethnic ghettos began to arise as immigrants found solace in settling with their own kind.

Settlement Houses Immigrants found only a few willing to give them assistance – Jane Addams established Hull House in Chicago to ease settlement, educate and help. Addams also fought for women’s right’s (especially suffrage) Other settlement houses sprang up – “indoctrinated” immigrants with US culture, life and English language Not all were so helpful as “nativists” sentiments often led to persecution of immigrants

Social Gospel Movement Immigration and urbanization led to overwhelming demands for federal services America’s churches met the demand through what many called the “social gospel”. (i.e. Salvation Army) Pushed for improvements in sanitation, child labor laws, slums, inequality, and hygiene. Paves the way for “progressivism” in the early 1900s.

Black Leaders Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois emerged as leaders Jim Crow segregation laws in the South. DuBois – co-founder of the NAACP – The first black Ph.D. at Harvard – Demanded immediate equal rights/treatment Washington – Created the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama – Stressed the importance of education before demanding equality. Segregation was upheld in the Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (“separate but equal” is constitutional)

NAACP The NAACP was formed in response to the continuing horrific practice of lynching and violence against blacks. Stated goal: secure for all people the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments – 13 th : end of slavery – 14 th : equal protection of the law – 15 th : universal adult male suffrage.

Organized Labor The American Federation of Labor ◦ Formed in 1886 ◦ “Umbrella” organization for other unions In 1886, Samuel Gompers organized the American Federation of Labor (AFL) ◦ Became the largest labor union organization in the United States. Gompers supported the use of strikes, but favored peaceful negotiations as a way to gain fair contracts for workers from their employers. By 1904, the American Federation of Labor had 1.7 million members.

Labor Unrest The labor problems between workers and owners often turned ugly with violence – Homestead Steel Strike, 1892 Rise of abusing child labor and sweatshops led to awful working conditions Workers organized strikes for higher pay, better working conditions, and shorter hours. Pres. Cleveland called on US troops to subdue workers, led by Eugene Debs, near Chicago in the Pullman strike of 1894.