immigration and urbanization (1865-1914 ) the new immigrants poor catholic or jewish immigrants...

Immigration and Urbanization (1865-1914)

The New Immigrants•Poor Catholic or Jewish immigrants often moved to urban areas•1870’s and 1880’s consisted of Northern/Western immigrants. Examples included: Irish, Scottish and Germans

•1890’s and early 1900’s included Immigrants from Italy, Hungary and Greece

Statistics Between 1870 to 1920 about 20

million Europeans arrived in the United States

Many came to escape religious persecution

Other Europeans left because of the rising population Between 1800 and 1900 the

population of Europe doubled to nearly 400 million

This resulted in land scarcity, competition for labor, etc.

2006 4

Ways the New Immigrants were different

• Skin color• Customs• Religion• Language

– Very different from English, German, French

The Push and Pull Factors• Push

– Immigrants fled from religious persecution, wars, political revolt, and land reform

• Pull– Plentiful land and employment, recruited for work – “Chain immigrants” joining family or friends who have already settled in America

The Immigrant Experience• long voyage

– steamships were safer and faster to cross the Atlantic

– most traveled in steerage

– arrival– New York Harbor: Ellis Island– San Francisco Bay: Angel Island

Ellis Island Located in New York Harbor

Once the main entry facility for immigrants entering the U.S.

Operated from January 1892 to November 1954 12 million immigrants were inspected

by 1954

Before Ellis Island 8 million immigrants had been processed at Castle Garden

1907 was the peak year for immigration with 1,004,756 immigrants processed April 17 saw 11,747 immigrants

Ellis Island Those with health problems or diseases were sent

home

About 2% were denied admission to Reasons such as disease, criminal

background, or insanity

Immigrants who were approved spent from 3 to 5 hours at Ellis Island

Ellis Island was sometimes known as "The Island of Tears"

Mass processing of immigrants at Ellis Island ended in 1924 after the Immigration Act of 1924

• Vito Andolini arrives at Ellis Island

Angel Island An island in San Francisco Bay

Provided the same service for those crossing the Pacific as did Ellis Island in the East

1 million people were processed through Angel island

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 provided tough entry restrictions Immigrants waited on the island for as long

as two years as they attempted to get in

In 1906 a fire destroyed the facility All processing took place in San Francisco

Angel Island• Tour

Immigrants Assimilate into Society

• “melting pot”• some city populations

had more than 40% foreign born

• most new immigrants stayed in cities, close to industrial jobs in factories– ghettoes

• Americanization programs– faced hostility and

competition among natives

Overcrowded and Poor Housing• housing conditions deteriorated • Immigrants lived in tenements• crime• poor sanitation

– Cholera– Germ Theory

Technological Cities• Mass transit

– Electric trolley and subway

• Elevators• Skyscrapers• Central heating

- Trolleys and subways were developed in order to make transportation more efficient.

A train of Brooklyn Union elevated cars circa 1907 belonging to the New York Transit Museum collection.

The New American Culture Once admitted immigrants faced many

challenges: Finding a place to live Getting a job Adapting to a new culture Understanding a new language

Many immigrants sought out people that were of similar backgrounds, culture, and language

They formed their own communities throughout the nation Created social clubs, churches, and

synagogues as a means of bonding together in a new land

Cultural Changes• conspicuous consumerism

– sale methods change– department stores– brand names

• mass culture• education increased

– training for urban careers

• new forms of entertainment

Educate• Schools assimilate immigrants

faster than anything else• Upsets some of the older

immigrants because the kids want to learn American culture and not their own

GROWING CONSUMERISM

• The turn of the century witnessed the beginnings of the shopping center, department and chain stores, and the birth of modern advertising

CATALOGS AND RFD• Montgomery Ward and Sears

were two pioneers in catalog sales

• By 1910, 10 million Americans shopped by mail

• In 1896 the Post Office introduced a rural free delivery (RFD) system that brought packages directly to every home

• sears ad.pdf

DAWN OF A MASS CULTURE

• Many middle class Americans fought off city congestion and dull industrial work by enjoying amusement parks, bicycling, tennis and spectator sports

• American leisure was developing into a multi-million dollar industry

THE DEPARTMENT STORE

• Marshall Field of Chicago brought the first department store to America

• Field’s motto was “Give the lady what she wants”

• Field also pioneered the “bargain basement” concept

Marshall Fields has been around for almost 150 years

Shopping, Sports and Entertainment- Macy’s opens a nine-story building in New York City.

Macy’s, New York City, 1964Macy’s, New York CityMacy’s, New York City, 1902

CHAIN STORES• In the 1870s, F.W. Woolworth

found that if he offered an item at a low price, “the consumer would purchase it on the spur of the moment”

• By 1911, the Woolworth chain had 596 stores and sold $1,000,000 per week

- Baseball, football and basketball gain in popularity.

The Cuban Giants began life in 1885 as a team that entertained guests at the Argyle Hotel in the resort town of Babylon, Long Island.

- Vaudeville shows became extremely popular.Examples: comedians, song and dance routines, and acrobats

Vaudeville

- Music such as ragtime became extremely popular as well.Example: Scott Joplin – an African American composer

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