Immigration & Urbanization in the Gilded

AgeAmerican Studies I Honors

Mr. Calella

The New Immigrants1870 to 1900

TIME PERIOD: (1870 to 1900)BIG IDEAS◦Immigrant◦Urbanization

ESSENTIAL QUESTION (Please answer)◦Why do people immigrate to other countries? Make a list of some “PUSH” and “PULL” factors

Big Ideas & Essential Question

Possible Push Factors ◦Political persecution, religious persecution, poor economy, scarcity of land, rising population, unemployment

Possible Pull Factors ◦Economic opportunity, religious freedom, political freedom, land

Push and Pull Factors

1866 to 1915, 25 million immigrants to U.S from Europe

Before 1880, mostly from northern and western Europe (“old immigrants”)◦WHERE?

After 1880, mostly from southern and eastern Europe (“new immigrants”)◦WHERE?

European Immigration

Why did many Chinese immigrate to California in 1848?

1851 to 1883, 300,000 Chinese arrived

By 1920, 200,000 Japanese lived on West Coast

Angel IslandWhy did these two groups settle on the west coast?

Chinese and Japanese

Transportation technology of the time? Steamship voyage

◦1-3 weeks from Europe◦3 weeks from Asia

Many traveled in STEERAGE ◦Cheapest accommodations; in ship’s cargo area at bottom of ship

◦Why?◦Titanic connection◦READ ALOUD “THE LOWER DECK”

An Immigrant’s Journey

Do you guys have any relatives that passed through Ellis Island?

Immigration station that inspected immigrants for disease, mental illness, crime record, etc.

Would send immigrants back to their home country if failed test (see test on page 463)

Immigrants were treated well Asian immigrants went to Angel Island off

of San Francisco, but unlike Ellis Island, they were treated very poorly◦Why do you think there was a difference?

Ellis Island

What is it? What are the pros and cons of it?

Some of the new immigrants were not interested in assimilation or becoming American

They wanted to return to their home country with enough money saved to buy a farm

Connection to present-day immigrants from Central America?

Most immigrants came to save enough money to bring rest of family to US

Most wanted to become American citizens but retain some of their culture and customs◦ Why was this important to them?

Assimilation

1890, twice as many Irish in NYC than Dublin

What is the difference between “melting pot” analogy and “mosaic” analogy?

Americanization Movement: designed to assimilate immigrants into the dominant culture.◦Hyphenated Americans◦What was the dominate culture?

Attributes?◦Who wanted immigrants to assimilate?◦Did immigrants completely assimilate?

Immigrants Settle in Cities

Nativism: favoritism to native-born Americans

Social and economic discrimination, but religious freedom preserved

Nativists felt that immigrants could not become “good” citizens

Nativists justify their arguments for immigrant restrictions on Southern and Eastern Europeans and Asians using Social Darwinism

American Protective Association and the “Catholic Menace”

Nativism

The Challenges of Urbanization1870-1900

What some problems associated with an overcrowded house?

Do people living in urban areas experience similar issues? Which? How?

Activity

Inventions and improvements in farming caused fewer laborers to be needed in the fields

Where do you think these farm laborers went? Why?

Many of these farm laborers were African American◦ Blacks moved to northern cities like Detroit and

Chicago for jobs (pull) and escape racial violence (push)

◦ City life for blacks was nonetheless difficult-discrimination and segregation, job competition with immigrants

Migration from Country to City

Garbage, clean water, sewage, overcrowded, crime, vice

Tenement living-Jacob Riis How the Other Half Lives◦One tub per floor◦Interior apartments-no circulation of air◦Disease and infant mortality◦Crime◦Unsanitary conditions-dark and dank,

pests Wealthy flee cities to suburbs

Urban Problems

As problems in cities pile up, concerned citizens (reformers) sought to make things better for poor city people

Settlement Houses◦Reformers established these◦They were community centers in slum neighborhoods that assisted people in the area

◦Food, shelter, education, religion

Reformers Mobilize

All cities’ problems prompted solutions Electric lights, paved streets, electric trolley cars,

Suspension bridges using steel cables◦Brooklyn Bridge and Roebling, NJ (Extra Credit Assignment)

◦View short video on Brooklyn Bridge Steel girders and skyscrapers Parks New tenement designs

Cities Modernize