1. Tell me about your most interesting news story from yesterday or this morning. 2. You have left your homeland and come to the Unites States. You were told there were nice houses, lots of jobs, nice houses, lots of jobs, and good money to be made. made. What do you expect to do when you get off the boat at Ellis Island?

How We See Ourselves in the USA

How our enemies see us

With the use of photography, the photographer could show the nation how the new immigrants were forced to live and work. “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”—Dorothea Lange “A picture is worth a thousand words.”—Chinese proverb

b) The reasons for the increase in immigration, growth of cities, and challenges arising from this expansion.

Population changes, growth of cities, and new inventions produced interaction. There were often conflict between different cultural groups. Example: the Irish vs. the Italians

Specialized industries, including steel (Pittsburgh) and meat packing (Chicago) Immigration to America from other countries Movement of Americans from rural to urban areas for job opportunities

Some cities specialized in certain industries. meatpacking Chicago specialized in meatpacking Steel Pittsburgh specialized in Steel Automobiles Detroit specialized in Automobiles Specializing in an industry helped the cities grow larger.

Many children in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries had to work to help support their families. Conditions were not good in factories for children.

They were unable to go to school, the factories were not safe, and the children did not make much money. Many children were injured at work, And the employers did NOT care.

Rapid industrialization and urbanization led to overcrowded immigrant neighborhoods and tenements. Italian Flag Irish Flag

As the United States grew, there were conflicts with different cultures. Many immigrants faced discrimination. The Irish and Chinese are two examples of immigrant groups that faced discrimination in the late 19 th century.

Settlement houses, such as Hull House founded by Jane Addams Political machines that gained power by attending to the needs of new immigrants (e.g., jobs, housing)

The immigrants were clustered into neighborhoods. Irish (Hell’s Kitchen) Little Italy Chinatown Jews (Lower East Side)

Jane Addams 1860 – 1935 American social reformer Took a large vacant residence in working class area of Chicago and converted it into a “Settlement House”

Hull House (Chicago) Was a place where immigrant families were given temporary housing and instruction about their new life in America. Taught how to care for children.

Taught how to run a household. Clean house Buy groceries Taught to speak English. Taught how to control their finances.

In the eastern US, the Irish were discriminated against. Brought over for cheap labor during the Irish Potato Famine. (Angered “native born” Americans losing their jobs.) Hatred towards them as immigrants was also a major factor in being hated. Attitude did not change until after the Irish fought in the American Civil War.

The Chinese were brought in to build the transcontinental railroad. Once here, they were treated badly, considered inferior race. (Does this sound familiar?) “Jim Crow” type laws were often created against the Chinese in the western states.

Political Machines were run by men who were corrupt. They would use the new immigrants to vote the way the “machine” wanted them to win elections.

The immigrant votes allowed the “machine” to control the politicians. (get favors, money, etc. from them.) Immigrants would vote the way there told because their job, money, apartments all came from the “Boss”.

If the immigrant did not vote as he was told, he would lose everything! The political bosses were really only out to make money for themselves, only cared for the immigrants as a way to get more power and money. This cartoon shows how the political corruption worked. There were bribes everywhere, and no one wanted to get caught, so they would blame someone else!

Tammany Hall was the location of the corrupt political machine of New York. If you wanted to get elected, you had to cut a deal with Boss Tweed. Ex: Tammany Hall would get the trash pick-up contract at too high a price. Prison guards were controlled by Boss Tweed!

The political machines were eventually stopped and destroyed, and many politicians were put in jail. But while the “machines” were powerful, a few people got rich at the expense of the average guy.