Life at the Turn of the 20th Century

ImmigrationPolitical Scandal & Reform

Discrimination

UrbanizationGrowth of cities

“Pull” Factors Open factories = new

job opportunities Luxuries of city

(plays, concerts, dept. stores)

Technology: indoor plumbing & electricity

Anonymity Chain migration:

bring families

“Push” Factors Mechanization:

machines produce goods faster, more efficiently > no need for man power

Bad crops Poor economy

Immigration U.S. – Land of Opportunities

1800s stream of immigrants > flood

Between 1880-1920, 25 million immigrants (1/2 as many people as living in entire country)

Immigration facilitated by transportation 1st sight of U.S. = Statue of

Liberty & Ellis Island Most went to cities Created ethnic diversity

Waves of Immigrants “Old” Immigrants

Came before 1890 Mostly from N. & W.

Europe (GB, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavian countries)

Spoke English Protestant religion Well-educated Some wealth ($)

“New” Immigrants Made up 80% of

immigrants between 1890-1920

From S. & E. Europe (Italy, Greece, Poland, Russia)

Roman Catholic, E. Orthodox & Jewish

Uneducated, illiterate Poor

Social Problems Cities

Low pay jobs > additional source of income (gambling, robbery, extortion, prostitution, drugs)

Population increased > violence increase (murder, gangs)

Lack of adequate services (fire, police, sewage, garbage)

Major Problems poor housing & political

corruption White racism > difficulty for

immigrants to “Americanize” or assimilate

Nativists: prefer native-born Americans over immigrants

Chinese Exclusion Act 1882: prohibit Chinese from entering for 10 yrs (ban not lifted until 1965)

Labor Structure Immigrants

Made up over ½ of working population Hierarchy

Native born whites Old immigrants - skilled N. Europeans (farming) Jews (clothing, banking) New immigrants (S. & E. Europe) “dirty jobs”

custodial & garbage Blacks & servants

Urban Life Wealthy

$ in industry/ business; nice homes

Middle Class Accountants, managers,

teachers, engineers, lawyers, doctors

Standards for living Working Class

Low wages & housing shortage > tenements

Unhealthy, no plumbing City Map Structure

City Map Structure

What would be in the center of the city? Why?

Who would live closest to the city center? Why?

What’s next? Then? And around the outside of the city?

Settlement House Movement

Settlement House Place for people to go for

shelter, food, help Focused on women, children

& immigrants Jane Addams

Started 1st settlement house (Hull House) in Chicago

Social Gospel Movement Faith should be expressed

through good works Moral duty to help others

Political Machines Political Machine

Organization of professional politicians who won support by promising jobs or helping families

Made cities run better but often corrupt

Tammany Hall Most famous machine In NY City Led by William Tweed >

became rich > convicted of fraud & imprisoned

Farming Reforms

Interstate Commerce Act (1887) Reasonable railroad rates 1st time federal gov’t passed law to

regulate industry

Populist (People’s Party) Founded by farmers Return to gold AND silver standard Regulate railroads

Segregation

Jim Crow Laws Created & enforced

segregation in public places

Passed by Southern state legislatures

Lynching Worst outcome of

discrimination Murder of an individual by

a group or mob

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Supreme Court

UPHELD segregation

Said “separate BUT equal” facilities did NOT violate the 14th Amendment (citizenship)

Discrimination Booker T. Washington

Blacks should accept segregation & work w/in system

W.E.B. DuBois Blacks should demand full

rights immediately Helped found NAACP

Other groups Hispanic, Asian & Native

Americans all faced discrimination