III. Immigration and Urbanization

(1870-1900)

In this historic photograph, taken between 1900 and 1914, an

immigrant family looks at the Statue of Liberty from Ellis Island

in New York Harbor, once the entry point for millions. ( Ellis Island

Immigration Museum)

A. Immigration – By 1900, over half of immigrants came from eastern & southern Europe (many Jews).

After the Civil War, millions of immigrants came from Europe & Asia.

1. Ellis Island (New York harbor) – processing center for Europeans (1892 – 1954).

12 million Europeans looking for work and a better life. Jews escaped religious persecution in Poland, Russia, & Germ.

2. Angel Island (California) – processing

center for Asians (1910 – 1940).

Chinese - Jobs, famine, Gold discovery in 1848, the Taiping Rebellion in 1850, RR construction in 1860’s.

Angel Island processed about 175,000 Asian immigrants entering the US; known as "The Ellis Island of the West."

What does the chart indicate happened toimmigration patterns between 1870–1900?

B. Nativism – Prefer native-born residents; limit immigration.

Fear of Catholics from Ireland, etc., would give Catholics too much power in US gov’t.

Work for lower wages or work as strike busters. Am. Protective Association to stop Catholic immigration (1887). Workingman’s Party of California by Denis Kearney (Irish

immigrant) to fight Chinese immigration (1870’s).

Cartoons for magazines such as Harper's Weekly depicted Irish immigrants as ape-like barbarians prone to lawlessness, laziness and drunkenness. "St. Patrick's Day, 1867...Rum, Blood, The Day We Celebrate" shows a riot with policemen and ape-like Irishmen.

Who were the Nativists afraid would gain too much power?

1. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) – barred Chinese immigration for 10 years & prevented those already here from becoming citizens.

Still allowed European immigrants. Repealed in 1943 (during WWII and Japanese internment).

C. Urbanization – 1840, U.S. had only 131 cities, by 1900 had 1,700.

Those living in cities over 2,500 people grew from 10 million in 1870 to 30 million in 1900.

NYC grew from 800K in 1860 to almost 3.5 million by 1900.

During the 3 decades after the Civil War, the U.S. transformedrapidly from a rural nation to a more urban one.

1. Immigrants stayed in the U.S. cities (a chance of social mobility; worked in factories).2. Rural Americans moved to cities for better paying jobs (running water, utilities, activities).

Couldn’t afford to buy farms or education for higher paying jobs.

NYC’s lower east side, 1900.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871

Story of the fire’s start is by a cow kicking over a lantern in the barn.

Reporter Michael Ahern admitted in 1893 that he had made-up the cow story because he thought it would make colorful copy.

Most of downtown Chicago was destroyed; aftermath of the fire.

There are several other stories onhow the fire started.

Use of steel girders by late 1800’s and safety elevator (Elisha Otis) in 1852 made skyscrapers over 5-stories possible.

Creative young architects rebuilt Chicago. Price of land increased need to go upward: the 1st ten-story

skyscraper in Chicago built in 1885.

The Home Insurance Building was builtin 1885 in Chicago, IL and demolished in

1931. It was the first building to use structural steel in its frame, but the majority

of its structure was composed of cast and wrought iron. Due to the 10-story building's

unique architecture and unique weight bearing frame, it is considered to be the first

skyscraper in the world.

Safety elevator by Elisha Otis (1852).

Steel also changed the way bridges were engineered; New technology (suspension) enabled the construction of the New York Brooklyn Bridge – largest suspension bridge when completed in 1883.

During this time, mass transit was built, cable cars (SF and 20 other cities), and then electric cable cars and subway systems in the late 1880’s.

3. Separation by Class- different neighborhoods for the classes.

Middle class due to industrialization – doctors, lawyers, engineers, managers, architects, & teachers.

a) Tenements – In NYC, 3 out of 4 residents squeezed

into dark & crowded multi-family

apartments.

To supplement income, children were sent to work in factories.

1890, NYCghetto

City living – crime, violence, pollution, fire, and disease. Native-born Americans blamed the immigrants on increased

crime, but wasn’t any higher in immigrant communities.

Fifth Ave in NYC, 1900.

4. Political Machine – Political system developed to meet the urban problems; Provided city services in return for political power.

New city dwellers needed jobs, housing, food, heat, & police protection; In exchange for votes, political machines and party bosses provided the necessities.

a) Tammany Hall in N.Y.C.

Tammany Hall in NY was run by William “Boss” Tweed in 1860’s & 70’s (later sent to jail for corruption).

Provided essential services / assimilate new city dwellers.

Tammany Hall on

East 14th Street, NYC.

Tammany Hall was started in 1789Tammany Hall was started in 1789as a social & charitable fraternity as a social & charitable fraternity that turned into a political force.that turned into a political force.

b) ‘Boss’ Tweed – political party

boss.c) Graft – $ from

dishonest means (fraud).► Party bosses accepted bribes from contractors; Sold permits to

their friends to operate public utilities (Patronage).► Tweed & cohorts stole $100 million of city funds (overcharging, etc.)► “Vote early, vote often.” (public ballots and no computers)► Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in

controlling NYC politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. ► Corrupt, but necessary due to inefficient city & state gov’ts.

William ‘Boss’ Tweed

Political cartoon denouncing Tammany Hall as a ferocious tiger.