Ch. 25: America Moves to the Cities: 1865-1900

AP US History

The Urban Frontier

• The Growth of cities– Cities grew both up and out

(Skyscraper: George Fuller)• Skyscrapers = more homes/workspace in

smaller area– Electric Elevator made them usable

– Mass transit made commuting possible• Trolley, subway, railroads, etc.• This also meant cities could grow bigger

Introduction

• As we move from an agricultural society to an industrial society people begin to move from the country to the city.

– Population is (x2 from 1870-1900)• By 1900: 1 of 4 were city dwellers

The Urban Frontier

• Why did people move to the city?– JOBS!! (#1 reason)– Lifestyle• Electricity, indoor plumbing, telephones, department

stores, etc.

– Immigrants (poor)

The Urban Frontier

• New Problems with emergence of Cities– Waste (wrappers on products)– Pollution– Impure water– Sanitation– Slums– Danger = wealthy head to suburbs• Before building codes: Chicago fire of 1871• Little government (corrupt)

New Immigration

“Old Immigrants”• 1840s-1860s• 2 Million/ decade• British isles/Western Europe

– Germany/Ireland/Chinese• Reasons for coming

– No land– No food– Religious freedom– No jobs

• Now accepted by Americans

“New Immigrants”• 1880-early 20th century• 5 Million/ decade• Southern/Eastern Europe

– Italians, Jews, Greeks, Poles, etc.

• Reasons for Coming– Same as “Old” immigrants

• Resented by Americans and “Old” immigrants– “Nativist” FEARS

(Outbreed/Outvote)

New Immigrants

• Tried to preserve their own culture in America– Parochial Schools– Newspapers– Restaurants– Social Clubs – Lived together (EX: “Little Italy”)

City Movement

• The American Government was not ready for city movement (very little enforcement)

• “Unofficial Government”- job to assimilate immigrants into American society– Led by bosses like NY’s Boss Tweed

(corrupt: Tammany Hall)• Traded jobs/services for votes

City Movement

• These corrupt gov’s would ignite social campaign again in US.

– “social gospel”: churches job to tackle social issues of the day.

– Settlement Houses: offered schooling, counseling to cope with city-life, child-care and cultural activities. (EX: Hull House by Jane Addams)

– “Gospel of Wealth”

City Movement

• New Opportunities for Women – More work/opportunity = social/economic

independence

– Black Women: domestic work– Native born whites: social work, telephone

operators, secretaries, store clerks, etc– Immigrants: cluster in particular industry by race

Narrowing the Welcome Mat

• Anti-Foreignism “nativism” is aroused again (new immigrants)

• FEAR = Outbreed and Outvoted by immigrants.

• Americans blamed immigrants for…– Shady urban governments– Low wages– Philosophy (Socialism, Communism, Anarchism)

Narrowing the Welcome Mat

• Anti-Immigrant organizations form

1. American Protective Association (APA) 1887• Urged voting against anything foreign

2. Labor Unions = anti-immigrants• “scabs”• If American industry is entitled protection (tariff) why

not American workers?

Narrowing the Welcome Mat

• Congress takes Action…

1. 1882 banned paupers, criminals and convicts2. 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act: Chinese banned3. 1885 Prohibited foreign workers under contract

(usually below avg. wage)

Did Americans believe this?

• “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-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door. “

Churches Confront the Urban Challenge

• “Social Gospel” –churches job to fix social problems of the day– D.L. Moody (Urban revival movement)– Religious affiliated organization arise

• YMCA/YWCA

• “Gospel of Wealth”- claimed God caused the righteous to prosper– What is wrong with this thought?– How are they judging monetary

achievement?

Darwin Disrupts the Church

• Charles Darwin- An English naturalist who proposed the theory of evolution.

– Evolution- belief that higher forms of life slowly evolve from lower forms. • Natural Selection- nature blindly chose what

would survive.

• AT A TIME RIPE FOR RELIGIOUS REVIVAL WE SEE A REVERS REVIVAL WITH THE HEIGHTENED SNESE OF SKEPTISIM AS THE BIBLE AS TRUE HISTORY/TRUTH IN ITS ENTIRETY.

Lust for Learning

• During this time we see an increase public education. Educational success= new mindset

• REASON:– A free government cannot function successfully if

the people are ignorant (EX: urban governments)

Lust for Learning

• FACTS:– 1870s state are making grade school compulsory

(helped check child labor)– By 1900 = 6,000 high schools– Free textbooks (taxpayers)– Parochial schools increase with new immigrants– 1870-1900 illiteracy drops from 20% to 10.7%• Schools = success

Education for African Americans

• The South lagged behind in public education– REASONS• Civil War• Reconstruction• Spread out society• Most schools for higher education in North = no teachers.

• African Americans suffered the most– 44% illiterate!

Education for African Americans

• Question: How do African Americans gain the rights/equality of other Americans?

Education for African Americans

• Booker T. Washington = champion of black education.– BELIEF: economic independence was the

ticket to black political and civil rights.

• Founded Tuskegee Institute (1881)– African American institute for

agriculture/trades• GOAL: to gain self-respect and economic

opportunity.

Education for African Americans

• W.E.B Du Bois- American sociologist/civil rights leader.– From Mass. (never really saw racism)– BELIEF: demanded complete equality for

African Americans.• “talented tenth”- should be given full and

immediate access to American life.

– Helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909

Hallowed Halls of Ivy

• Colleges after Civil War

• REASONS:– Increased belief in education = success– Cities = white collar work– Medicine on the rise– Philanthropy– Morrill Act 1862

• Provided land grants for state supported schools– EX: Ohio State, California, Texas A&M

Hallowed Halls of Ivy

• Educational opportunity increased for African Americans and Women– By 1880 1 of 3 college graduates were women

March of the Mind

• Up to this point colleges were mainly for religious training (theology)

• Reasons for traditional curriculum changing…– Darwin’s new ideas (said science and religion didn’t go

together)– Industrialization- need for “practical” courses and

specialized vocational training in sciences.– Elective System- students choose courses– New Professions- medicine, white collar work, etc.

Appeal to the Press

• With a more educated population a new market arises. – Books, newspapers, and magazines – Linotype (1885)- made the printing of material

quicker and cheaper (1 man job)– Libraries begin being built• All over not just NE• Philanthropist donate money

Appeal to the Press• A new type of journalism arises = “yellow

journalism”– Relies on sensationalism and exaggeration to attract

readers. • The WOW factor• There is no need for it to be TRUE

• Joseph Pulitzer (NY World)• William Randolph Hearst (San Francisco Examiner)

• This journalism is balanced out by the formation of the Associated Press, which brought validity to stories.

Families and Women in the City

• Urban life = hard on families (work)– Trends:• Isolation- new stresses

– ERA OF DIVORCE is launched

• New work habits– Went from a farming society to a industrial society

• New family sizes– Families in country = larger (had to get work done)– Families in the city= smaller (more mouths to feed)

» Birth control hits the market

Families and Women in the City

• Women– More social/economic opportunity =

independence• Jobs• Nightlife