1. U.S. History Chapter 15
Lecture Notes

2. New Immigration Patterns Emerge
1. Regions from which the “New” Immigrants began arriving after 1890.
Southern and Eastern Europe
2. Main port of entry for immigrants arriving from Europe, located in New York.
Ellis Island
3. Main port of entry for immigrants arriving from China and Japan, located in California.
Angel Island
4. Concept that the immigrants should shed their native heritage and blend into American society.
Melting Pot Theory
5. Concept that American society should leave room for the cultures of all immigrants, based on diversity.
Theory of Plurality

3. Not Everybody’s too happy about the new immigration patterns
6. Idea that native-born Americans are superior to foreign immigrants, basis for much discrimination.
Nativism
7. Group formed to determine who the “desirable” and “undesirable” immigrants were.
Immigration Restriction League
8. Term describing a fear of Asian people, many people feared Asian culture and resented them for taking jobs at lower wages than most Americans would work for.
Sinophobia
9. Act of Congress that banned Chinese immigrants for a 10-year period, with extensions it covered a 50-year period.
Chinese Exclusion Act
10. An agreement reached between the United States and the government of Japan banning the emigration of unskilled workers to the United States.
The Gentlemen’s Agreement

4. Forming an American Culture
13. Term describing the attempt to assimilate wide-ranging cultures into a dominant “American” culture.
Americanization
One of the main functions of the expansion of High School Education during this time was the “Americanization” of the Immigrant population.
The African American community was almost completely left out of that educational reform.

5. New Immigrants cause the cities to grow
12. Growth of the Cities.
Urbanization
14. Run-down apartment buildings in which many immigrants were forced to live.
Tenements
11. Wrote How the Other Half Lives exposing the poverty in New York City.
Jacob Riis
Other problems that came with life in the cities included crime, sanitation, disease, and fire.

6. Politicizing Immigration
21. Process of becoming a citizen, Political Machines often helped immigrants through this process in return for their political loyalty.
Naturalization
Fueled much of the resentment toward immigrants that was part of the Nativist Movement.

7. The Churches get involved
15. Religious reform movement that preached that salvation could be achieved through service to the poor.
Social Gospel Movement
16. Community centers where the urban poor could get food, shelter, and assistance in dealing with urban hardships.
Settlement Houses
17. Founder of the most famous American settlement house, Hull House in Chicago.
Jane Addams

8. “All is not what it seems”
18. Term describing the late-1800’s when all appeared to right in American society, government, and culture, but when reality was that corruption was rampant.
The Gilded Age
19. Organization that controlled the activities of a political party.
Political Machines
20. Most famous of the Gilded Age Political Machines, founded by William “Boss” Tweed.
Tammany Hall
22. Term describing types of political corruption, included bribes, patronage, etc.
Graft
25. Group of conservatives that opposed political reforms.
Stalwarts

9. Beginnings of Reform
23. Political cartoonist that brought down Tammany Hall.
Thomas Nast
26. Reform-minded President, assassinated by a Stalwart named Charles Guiteau. Had once been implicated in the Credit Mobilier Scandal, now a reformer?
James A. Garfield
27. Had been Vice President under Garfield, supported by conservatives, became a reform President. Called a traitor by the Stalwarts.
Chester A. Arthur

10. Death of the “Spoils System”
28. Established a merit system in government hiring. Created the Civil Service System and the Civil Service Exam.
Pendleton Civil Service Act
24. System of hiring based on a person’s qualifications rather than their connections. Demanded by political reformers during the Gilded Age.
Merit System

11. Unique among American Presidents
29. Only American President to ever serve two non-consecutive terms. Supported lowering Tariffs as a means of stimulating the economy.
Grover Cleveland