1. Chapter 7 Notes Immigration and Urbanization

2. Urban “Opportunities” Industry boomed in major cities, so people flocked to where the jobs were. –Econ. hardships in Eur. led many immig. to seek low-wage jobs in cities like New York. –Amer. farmers (incl. Southern freedmen) were forced out of farms by mechanization.

3. Urban Problems Many families lived in small apartments (tenements) which were very unhealthy. –No ventilation, rats, trash everywhere, and dirty water led to much disease and sickness. Crime was very common b/c little or no police force and fires plagued the inner cities also.

4. Social Gospel Movement First forms of community centers and “Settlement Houses” are established to help the urban poor.

5. Ch. 7, Section 3 Politics in the Gilded Age (Gilded Age = glittering exterior but corrupt and ugly core.)

6. The Political Machine City politicians offered services to those who supported them. –The “pyramid” was topped by the city boss who controlled the money, who that money would go to, and how it would be spent. (often it was worthy – going to parks, orphanages, schools, etc. But usually the $ was spent to secure their own political gains.)

7. Scandal *election fraud often ensured victory to political machines. (Graft = the illegal use of pol. influence for personal gain) Politicians granted favors or looked the other way in exchange for cash. Since the “political machine” controlled the police, they got away with it.

8. Pendleton Civil Service Act All this corruption led the fed. gov. to look at people’s qualifications before appointing them to powerful positions. (not just who you know) This led to public servants being more honest and efficient, but it also forced politicians to get $ from other sources.

9. Big Business gets involved Wealthy business owners wanted high tariffs, so they padded the purses of presidential candidates in order to win their influence. (today, these are special interest groups and lobbyists)

11. Chapter 8 Notes

12. Technology encouraged more urbanization Skyscrapers, mass transit, and urban planning allowed millions to successfully live in and around the city.

13. Public Education Gov. and society at large recognized school as a way to gain status and prosperity. –Passed laws requiring school until the age of 14. –More high schools and colleges were built to teach expanded subjects incl. industrial training. (carpentry, drafting, secretarial training)

14. Af.-Amer. Education b/c Af.-Amer. were excluded from most secondary public schools (segregation), most never received higher educ. (this contributed to oppression of an entire race!) –Booker T. Washington = Tuskegee Institute – specialty training. Teach valuable skills in order to get a good job. Financial security will

15. (cont.) bring gradual inclusion into mainstream Amer. life, hence, equality. W.E.B. DuBois = blacks should get liberal arts degrees (history, sociology, math, etc) so blacks would have good leaders and a more immediate entry into mainstream Amer. life.

16. Mass Culture Amusement parks, leisure activ., and spectator sports became pop. As people finally have more time away from work. Newspapers were widely circulated, becoming more of a business. Advertising, catalogs, and the department store are born out of a healthy consumer economy in urban centers.

17. 1.Do you think the federal minimum wage should be increased? Why/Why not? What would be ‘fair’? 2. What would be the benefits and drawbacks to raising the minimum wage? 3. Overall comments / reactions to the video.