The Lure of America Old Immigrants ( ) – More than 10 million, mostly Protestants from northwestern Europe New Immigrants ( ) – More than 12 million, mostly Catholics, Orthodox or Jewish from southern or eastern Europe – What were two major reasons for moving to the U.S.? – Some people made enough $$ to go back home while others stayed – By early 1900s, over 60 percent of people living in 12 largest U.S. cities were immigrants

Arriving in America First steps in U.S. for new immigrants – Angel Island (SF Bay) or Ellis Island (NY Harbor) Ellis Island – Opened in 1892, near the Statue of Liberty – Order of events Physical exam, interview with immigration inspector – Reasons why people could be sent back Mental disorders or other contagious diseases; criminal records; no means to support themselves – Most were allowed to stay

New Life in America An improvement but most still struggled Typical Immigrant Life – – Worked low-paying unskilled jobs – Small apartments in crowded neighborhoods or slums Immigrant Communities – – Lived with their own people, made the transition easier financially and culturally

New Life in America Assimilation – – Giving up the practices of your homeland to blend into American culture – Many names were Americanized – Done more by children. Why?

Nativist Response Many saw immigrants as a threat Therefore, they were blamed for… – Social problems – crime, poverty, violence, radical political ideas – Economic problems – many argued their willingness to work cheaply took away jobs and lowered pay Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) – – Denied citizenship to people born in China – Prohibited immigration of Chinese laborers – Led to increased violence against Chinese Why were the Chinese excluded and not other ethnicities?

Nativist Response Immigration Restriction League – – Wanted to impose a literacy test on all immigrants Legislation was passed by Congress but vetoed by President Grover Cleveland Benefits of immigration – – Rapid industrialization would have been impossible without help of immigrant workers – Added aspects of new cultures to American life

The Changing City Cities before 1860 – compact, few buildings taller than four or five stories Between 1865 and 1900, percentage doubled Skyscrapers – multi-story buildings built to allow more people in cities – Steel frames – Brought more workers to city business districts Elisha Otis – – Invented the elevator in 1852 that allowed people and materials to be moved easily

The Changing City Mass transit – – Public transportation such as electric commuter trains, subways and trolley cars – Allowed people to travel longer distances to get to work Suburbs – – Residential neighborhoods on the outskirts of a city

Upper Class Life Urban upper class took on a new look in late 1800s – Nouveau riche – French for “newly rich” – Examples – Carnegie, Rockefeller and Vanderbilt What is conspicuous consumption?

Middle Class Life Rise of modern corporations brought accountants, clerks, engineers, managers and salespeople into the middle class Professionalization – set standards for professions, brought more respect to these jobs Middle Class Women

Life in the Cities Living conditions for working-class city- dwellers became worse Tenements – – Poorly-built apartment buildings, home to many immigrants in large cities like New York City – As many as 12 families lived on a single floor of a tenement – Raw sewage and garbage African Americans faced worst discrimination

Drive for Reform Settlement houses – Community-service centers in poor neighborhoods Jane Addams – Started Hull House in a Chicago immigrant neighborhood – Goals – provide opportunities to poor, improve living conditions

Education/Publishing Education – Compulsory education laws – required parents to send children to school Publishing – Large increase in literacy and newspapers – Circulation wars – Battles between newspapers in the same city for readers Example – Pulitzer’s World against Hearst’s New York Journal – Yellow journalism Use of sensational news stories, fancy graphics, photos and cartoons

Leisure Time Frederick Law Olmsted – – Designed Central Park in NYC and helped start the City Beautiful movement Entertainment – Vaudeville “light play” – Variety show that featured wide selection of short performances – Ragtime – New type of music that was radically different from anything else Scott Joplin – the King of Ragtime