POLITICAL CARTOON ANALYSIS

1. What groups of people are represented in this cartoon?

2. What point was the artist trying to make?

IMMIGRATION AND URBANIZATIONChapter 7

WARNING!!!

You will have a reading quiz over Chapter 7 on WEDNESDAY! If you have not finished the chapter by then you will start the new grading period off with a bad grade

ASSIGNMENT

You will write a short story about your life as an immigrant moving to America in the late 1800s. Your character must go through either Angel

Island or Ellis Island You must write about their travels here and at

least the first month of their life in America Your story will be graded on authenticity so make

sure you know the history behind immigrant migration from 1870-1900.

Page 215 has some helpful information but don’t overlook the usefulness of the historic websites for these locations

Due Monday, October 29th!

NEW IMMIGRANTS Immigrants who traveled to the United States before

1870 came for economic opportunity and religious freedom Those who came before the Civil War had a skill or were

educated, and had saved money to travel on Those who came around the Civil War were Protestant

Germans and Catholic Irish who lacked skills and money but were accepted due to being English speakers/Protestant

Starting in 1870 the “new” immigrants started moving here They came from southern and eastern Europe They were unskilled, poor, Catholic or Jewish, and lived in

the cities Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary, and Russia were their

native homes (Some came from China and Mexico)

NEW IMMIGRANTS

Two factors in WHY immigrants moved here: Push Factors—

Land reforms in Mexico, China, and Poland pushed farmers off their farms

China and Eastern Europe went through many wars Religious persecution (Jews mostly)

Pull Factors— U.S. offered plentiful land and employment (mines,

oil fields, harvest produce, factory work) 1862 Homestead Act made lands near railroads

cheap and RRs offered discounts for people to get to them

Chain immigrants were those coming to join family members who were already here

THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE

Despite the hardships of leaving their home/family, the difficult/expensive journey, and the issue of having to assimilate many people felt that migrating to America outweighed all that

Most immigrants coming to America only brought what they could carry Clothes, picture of their family, cherished

belonging like an instrument or tools Getting to the ships were dangerous in the

war zones Most had to travel in steerage (lower levels

of the ship) which led many to become sick (some died)

THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE

When the ships arrived in America their first stop was at a processing station Ellis Island, NY was the processing station on the

East coast Immigrants had to prove they were healthy, had money, a

skill, or a sponsor If they were not up to par they could either be refused

entry or quarantined for a period of time Angel Island, CA

Much harsher than Ellis Island Chinese immigrants were turned away unless they could

prove American citizenship or that they had family here In Ellis Island, it would take hours to get processed,

at Angel Island it could take months They were held in essentially military barracks that were

overcrowded

ELLIS ISLAND

ANGEL ISLAND SCREENING

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN AMERICA

Most immigrants moved into the cities Some had family to help them assimilate while

others used an “agent” who typically took advantage of them

Ethnic neighborhoods (ghettos) emerged as people who shared native languages, religion, and culture stayed together

4 out of 5 people in NYC were immigrants Settlement houses offered Americanization

programs to teach English and learn American culture Many held on to their culture, but their children

would become Americanized The “melting pot” idea became more solidified as

cultures began to blend (except Chinese culture)

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN AMERICA

Nativism, belief that native-born white Americans were superior to newcomers, was widely accepted This became much stronger as the economic and

housing recession grew Immigrants willing to work for lower pay

infuriated Americans Religion became a factor too—many

Americans were against non-Protestants They didn’t trust the Catholics or Jews

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN AMERICA The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

Prohibited immigration of Chinese laborers, limited civil rights or those already here, and forbade the naturalization of Chinese residents

Despite court rulings overturning parts of this act, the officials ignored that and did what they wanted

Congress passed another law stating that anyone who was a criminal, immoral, or a pauper could not immigrate to the U.S. How does this tie with the Statue of Liberty’s inscription:

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door”

IMMIGRANTS CHANGE AMERICA

They fueled growth, elected politicians, and introduced their traditions to American culture

They worked in mines, mills, factories, and doing piece work They conditions were harsh and they received

few benefits They helped the U.S. become a world power

They demanded a voice Became a part of labor unions Political leaders they supported became powerful

They expanded the definition of American

CITIES EXPAND AND CHANGE

What challenges come with living in a city?

By 1900 15 million people were living in cities (50K + populations) This came to be through urbanization which is

the shift from people living in rural communities to people living in cities

Urban people worked on schedules, rode trolleys, paid rent, and interacted with strangers daily Poor were attracted to the factories, those with a

little money opened shops, and educated people worked as professionals in downtown offices

CITIES EXPAND AND CHANGE

By being in the city, you could send your children to school Education would give you access to a better

standard of living than your parents had Goal was to break the cycle of poverty

Churches, theaters, social clubs, and museums offered entertainment

Certain industries become dominated by certain groups Steel mills were largely made up of Polish,

European Jews made up textiles in NY, Scandinavians were in the fish-packing industry of the Pacific Northwest

CITIES EXPAND AND CHANGE

Farmers who moved to the city found themselves torn over their new homes The work was often dull, with poor lighting and

rigid schedules that was very fast paced Why would this be an issue for a former farmer?

Many of the African Americans stayed in Southern cities Those who did move north found the same

challenges as other farmers They would not move in large quantities until

post-World War I

TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES CITY LIFE

Living in a city brought the challenge of getting water, having access to sewer, as well as having schools and safety

Innovators took to solving these and other problems

Buildings started moving up Skyscrapers’ potential was not realized until the

invention of the elevator that would not fall if the rope broke

Central heating systems also helped people want to live in these buildings

Architecture emerged as a specialized career You had to get a license in order to become an

architect These buildings became the icons of big cities

URBAN AREAS ACROSS AMERICA

Upper Left: Seattle

Upper Right: New York

Lower Left: 105 stories above Chicago looking down through a glass floor

TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES CITY LIFE

Transportation was revolutionized by electric trolleys and subways Mass transit (large, public systems that move

many people fairly inexpensively) reshaped cities Because cables could become an issue for fire

trucks and trolleys caused massive congestion on the streets, Boston sent them underground making the first subway system

Those who didn’t want to put up with the noise of the city and could afford regular fares on mass transit systems moved to the suburbs Poorer people remained in walking distances of

work/shopping

TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES CITY LIFE Urban sprawl began to be

a problem Cities needed to be

planned and organized thus zoning was introduced

Zones for public property, factories, government building, and even parks were laid out before cities spread out further

Today city parks make up an important part of life for those who live in areas like NYC, Savannah, and Chicago

URBAN LIVING CREATES PROBLEMS Those who were left in the cities were typically poor

They lived in tenements (low cost, multi-family housing) with multiple families in one apartment

The owners of these buildings lived in fashionable downtown areas or the suburbs

These apartments had few windows, little sanitation (as in no indoor plumbing), and were generally unhealthy and dangerous Jacob Riis wrote about this issue in How the Other Half

Lives: “Go into any of the ‘respectable’ tenement

neighborhoods…you shall come away agreeing [that]…life there does not seem worth living…[T]he airshaft…seems always so busy letting out foul stenches…that it has no time to earn its name by bringing down fresh air…”

URBAN LIVING CREATES PROBLEMS

Unpaved city streets were covered with trash Even dead horses!

Alleys were dumping grounds for waste (all types) This led to the quick spread of diseases and epidemics

Getting water was difficult in some cities, especially in the Southwest Indoor plumbing would not come around until after

1900 in most cases Crime and fire was also an issue

Robberies and murders were common In 1871 Chicago was essentially destroyed by fire

(killed ~250 people and left 100K without homes) Gangs became an issue at this point as well

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TRENDS

Mark Twain wrote The Gilded Age as a satire of last three decades of the 1800s During this time period Americans became very

“busy” with shopping, sports, and pop culture People began making more money, both as

factory workers and as farmers This led to conspicuous consumerism

People bought many new products on the market Only the poorest of the poor were prohibited

from participating in this consumerism

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TRENDS

Macy’s opened in 1858 The store was divided into “departments” (thus the

name department store) Other department stores soon followed Some offered money back guarantees and free

shipping All advertised

Created logos and trademarks Brand name goods became all the rage

People began to measure success by what they could buy Better health products also led to longer life

expectancy Standard of living was looking pretty good

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TRENDS

Factory produced clothing and prepackaged food made homemakers’ lives easier Until the Victorian Era pressures of increased

cleanliness and fancier meals became standard Indoor plumbing became a desired luxury as

well Men became commuters so the families

didn’t have to live in the noisy, dirty city They believed that the hard work and long hours

would pay off

MASS CULTURE

People became more alike—rich and poor could wear the same clothing styles Technology and gadgets were common from

house to house This lead to a culture of people who all wanted

the same things Are we still like this today?

Newspapers became a household fixture as well Joseph Pulitzer ran a successful newspaper that

was cheap because companies bought advertising space

He believed it was the job of a newspaper to stir up controversy as well as report the news

MASS CULTURE

Pulitzer found William Randolph Hearst to be quite the competitor His papers were so sensationalist yet sold

thousands of copies Lots of other papers began catering to certain

groups (black people, Italians, etc.) Literature also flourished

Books: The Red Badge of Courage, The Gilded Age

Plays and art was also part of the common life

EDUCATION

More people were able to read allowing for the expansion of education

School became compulsory (elementary at least) High School was still moderately attended This lead to nearly 90% literacy rate by 1900

John Dewey pursued new teacher training methods Teachers had to have a certificate They had to teach civics and business classes English and skill courses were also taught

Colleges began offering degrees to women Particularly in social work, teaching, and nursing Women were also accepted into other university

programs

NEW FORMS OF POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT

The need for entertainment grew in importance during this time Middle class began taking vacations Working class looked for escapes, even for a day

Amusement Parks became wildly successful Coney Island in NYC offered the first roller

coaster 10¢ a ride brought in $600 per day! This was the “vacation in a day” the poorer

classes could afford Outdoor events and shows draw crowds

Wild Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley displayed rope tricks as well as horse riding stunts

NEW FORMS OF POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT

Vaudeville was one of the most glamorous shows Musical drama, signing, comedy Designed to be a family show Think Cirque du Solei

The rise of nickelodeons (movie theatres) became amazingly popular

Ragtime bands could be heard most nights in the cities

Sports grew in popularity as well Baseball even had its own song “Take me Out to the

Ball Game” Horse racing, boxing, and football (especially college)

were also favorite pastimes Basketball was invented in 1891

REMEMBER YOUR HOMEWORK…

You are working on your short story. You may want to include some of the stuff we

talked about today Most immigrants would not have had access to

all the consumer goods, but they might have been able to go to some of the entertainment stuff

Many people rooted for the boxer who was from their homeland (that is still true today)