Challenges of Urbanization 7.2 Notes

Melting Pot  Mixture of people of different cultures and races who blended together by abandoning their native languages and customs  Did not want to give up identities  Increased immigration led to anti-immigrant feelings

Nativism  Favoritism toward native-born Americans  Demand for immigration restrictions  Immigration Restriction League – Prescott F. Hall –Identified desirable immigrants (British, German, Scandinavian) –Problems come from “wrong” immigrants (Slav, Latin, Asian)  Objected to certain religious beliefs –Jewish immigrants vs. Protestant/Catholic founders of U.S.  Literacy test passed by Congress, 1897 –Minimum of 40 words in English or native language –Vetoed by Pres. Cleveland

Chinese Exclusion Act  Laborers worried Chinese would accept lower wages  Depression of 1873 – jobs scarce  Workingmen’s Party and Denis Kearney – headed anti-Chinese movement in CA  Act banned all entry by Chinese for 10 yrs –Except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, gov’t officials –Extended indefinitely until repeal in 1943

Gentleman’s Agreement of  Anti-Chinese sentiment expands  1906 – S.F. education board segregated Japanese children in separate schools  Japanese angered and protested  Theodore Roosevelt worked agreement –Japan’s gov’t limits emigration of unskilled workers –S.F. repealed segregation order

Immigrants Settle in Cities  Urbanization – growth of cities (Northeast and Midwest) –Technology boom = more jobs  Cities cheapest, convenient  Mills and factories – attracted unskilled workers  Better farm technology = less jobs on farms  Rural people moved to cities for jobs

Americanization Movement  Assimilate people into American culture  School programs, volunteer associations –Teach skills needed for citizenship –English literacy, American history, gov’t –Cooking, social etiquette  Immigrants conflicted about losing culture  Fled to ethnic neighborhoods

Urban Problems  Housing –Housing outside of town or rental rooms in boardinghouses rental rooms in boardinghouses at first at first –Row houses –Tenements – multi-family dwellings, overcrowded and unsanitary  Transportation –Mass transit – street cars in S.F., electric subways –Lots of people on fixed routes –Linked cities together

 Water –Public waterworks built to distribute safe drinking water –No indoor plumbing, collected from street faucets –Disease spread through unsanitary water  Cholera, typhoid fever –filtration systems, chlorination developed  Sanitation –Horse manure in streets –Sewage in open gutters –Factory smoke polluted air –No dependable trash collection – garbage dumped in streets –Private trash collectors - scavengers

 Crime –Pickpockets, thieves –NY City first to have salaried police force  Fire –Limited water supply – fires spread –Candles, kerosene lamps and heaters –SF earthquake – 1906 –Developed sprinklers, built with brick/stone instead of wood