1. Gilded Age
Chapter 6
Section 2-4

2. Gilded Age 1877-1900 is known as the Gilded Age
Gilded means “covered with a thin layer of gold.”
A thin, but glittering layer of prosperity covered the poverty and corruption of much of society
A few were gaining considerably such as the industrialists, but most did not benefit and were destitute
Farmers
Immigrants

3. Section 2 Immigration People were moving in the late 1800’s
From one country to another
From farms to cities
Population in the U. S. rose by 30 million between See page See also page 212.
Where were most immigrants coming from in the years ?
Where were most immigrants coming from in the years ?
Immigrants wanted the freedoms afforded to citizens of the U.S.

4. Many could not afford cabins and traveled below deck (steerage)
Traveled by steamship
Many could not afford cabins and traveled below deck (steerage)
: northern European countries
: central, southern and eastern Europe
1882: Federal government started excluding certain groups of immigrants
1891: Office of the Superintendent of Immigration started determining who was fit for America and who was not
Requiring physical examinations
If they had certain diseases, they had to be quarantined or deported

5. European Immigrants
Most immigrants came through the “Golden Door” which was NYC
1892: Ellis Island Reception area opened for steerage passengers
Many immigrants tried to settle in areas (city or rural) already settled by others from their homeland
View map on page 219
Many immigrants were taken advantage of in the workplace, especially women

6. Asian Immigrants
Most came to American through western ports such as San Francisco and Seattle
Chinese
Japanese
Due to vast cultural differences between Americans and Europeans, Asian immigrants were especially discriminated against

7. Chinese Immigrants
Railroad companies used many Chinese immigrants—Who were recruited to work on the railroads—promised a good life and good pay—Reality: the opposite.
Many moved to areas already settled by Chinese

8. Discrimination of Chinese
American Labor Unions wanted to exclude Chinese because they accepted low wages, bringing down the overall wage
Some claimed that the Chinese were inferior and should not become citizens
Help spread racist attitudes
Chinese Exclusion Act: 1882
Prevented Chinese laborers from entering the U.S.
Not repealed until 1943

9. Japanese Immigrants
Most Many early Japanese immigrants came from Hawaii
settled in the Los Angeles area
Many worked and owned private businesses and produced many crops
Did not compete with Labor Unions, but still faced discrimination
School segregation of all Asians in San Francisco
Banned non citizen Asians from owning land (Webb Alien Land Law: 1913)

10. Mexican Immigrants
Many immigrants from Mexico came to the U.S. due to…
Newlands Reclamation Act-1902
Irrigated arid land in Southwest: fertile farm land
Needed workers
Mexican Revolution
U.S. joining WWI (1917)-demand for workers
Immigration Restriction Act of 1921, which limited European immigration
U.S. needed workers, and Mexicans came to fill the need

11. Two Immigrant Portraits
Page
Sadie Frowne: Polish immigrant
Take Eto: Japanese immigrant
Read both accounts
Create a T-chart or Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the experiences of both immigrants

12. Transportation
Prior to Civil War, cities were small (3-4 square miles), people walked to work
Creation of public transportation allowed people to live out side the city: suburbs
1832: Public horse drawn carriage on rails-NYC
1868: Elevated trains allowed commuters to bypass congested streets-NYC
1873: Cable Cars in San Francisco
1888: Electric trolleys in Richmond, VA
1897: Subway in Boston
1893: Automobile (1910-mass produced)

13. Model T in 1910

14. Section 3 The Challenge of the Cities
Not only immigrants were coming into the cities, farmers came too
Factories produced what farm women had
Machines replaced manual labor
Farms were failing- People moved to the cities because farm machines and factory made goods, reduced the need for farm labor
During Reconstruction, after Civil War, brought many former slaves to the city

15. Buildings Cities grew OUT and UP
Bessemer Steel process made building tall buildings possible
First Skyscraper: Chicago’s Home Insurance Company Building was 10 stories tall
Relied on elevators to get to top
Elisha Graves invented safe passenger elevators
Specialized areas of businesses
Center: government and financial offices, and retail
Surrounding the center: industrial and warehouse businesses

16. New York City, 1910

17. Urban Living Need for housing grew as cities grew
Some middle class moved to the suburbs
Urban workers founding housing where they could
Tenements were low cost, run down, crowded apartments
What could be afforded
Many unsafe

18. Tenement

19. Tenement

20. Tenements continued… Disease
Fire danger was biggest threat—spread quickly
Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Boston Fire of 1872
Billons (today’s $ amount) of dollars of damage; many dead and homeless
Disease
Contagious diseases spread quickly
Children especially vulnerable

21. Ghetto: area where an ethnic or racial group was dominate
Some ghettos were created by…
People felt comfortable around their own cultures
Familiar language and customs
“Unspoken boundaries” drawn by streets
Restrictive covenants: Agreements by homeowners not to sell to a particular culture

22. Jacob Riis Immigrant from Denmark
Worked as a reporter for NYC newspapers
Reported on the conditions of the immigrants
Used new technology of flash photography
As a result of his work, New York passed the first laws to improve tenements

25. Results of City Growth
Middle and Upper class separated from the poor by moving out of the city
Urban growth led to the development of new city organization and worked on improving utilities and services, such as police, fire, water and sewer, and electricity
Raised taxes
Gave city governments more money and more power

26. Political Bosses
Political machines kept a certain political party in control through favors’ giving jobs to immigrants
Headed by a “boss”
Many took advantage of immigrants
But immigrants were getting help from “bosses” where other government agencies were not helping
Some did good for cities, others were corrupt
Cincinnati’s George B. Cox: positive changes
NYC’s Democratic Party Boss, William Marcy Tweed: corrupt

27. Ideas for Reform section 4
Nativism: favoring native born Americans over immigrants
Several groups and organizations got laws passed that restricted immigration and rights to immigrants
Prohibition/Temperance movement
Opposed drinking because it led to personal disasters—especially involving immigrants
Main groups:
Prohibition party-1869
Women’s Christian Temperance Union- 1874
Anti-Saloon League-1893

28. Many charitable organizations created to help the needy (poor and immigrants)
Some were based on religious principles
Some interfered with immigrant life
Many wanted immigrants to adopt American way of life
Most charitable organizations really wanted to help the needy

29. Settlement Movement
People would move into the needy neighborhood and then provide social services—giving money was not enough—people had to experience it
Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr created the Hull House—Chicago, IL
Very successful as it expanded to help the community as a whole
Provided economic, social, cultural, and educational help for all
Settlement Movement was very successful and expanded through out the entire nation

30. Michigan Department of Education Social Studies Content Expectations U
Michigan Department of Education Social Studies Content Expectations U.S. History and Geography
6.1.1d
6.1.1f
6.1.3a
6.1.3b
6.1.3c
6.1.3d
6.1.3e
6.3.2d
6.3.2e