Life at the turn of the 20th Century

Immigration

Immigration Statistics Between 1800-1880:

about 10 million immigrants came to U.S. – these are the “old immigrants” Mainly western Europe

More Immigration Statistics Between 1880-

1910:about 18 million immigrants arrive in U.S-these are the “new immigrants” Mainly from southern and

eastern Europe and some from Asia

Immigrants 1880-1910: Where did they come from? Ellis Island

(NY): opened 1892

Came from southern and eastern Europe… Greece, Italy, Poland, Russia

Angel Island (California):

opened 1910 for Asian immigrants

Ellis Island

Angel Island

Why did immigrants come to America?

Better life Jews fled Russia and eastern Europe to

escape Religious persecution Southern and eastern Europe had poverty

and little economic opportunity Found better life but also met hardships

(tenements, low-paying, unskilled jobs)

TENEMENT: Crowded Apartment

Reactions to Immigration Nativists: immigrants are a threat

Blamed immigrants for increased crime, poverty, and high unemployment

West Coast- prejudice directed towards Asians

Americanization – some wanted immigrants to blend and helped them

State and Federal Laws State

California restricted Chinese against holding jobs and where they could live

San Francisco made Japanese students attend different schools

Federal Chinese Exclusion

Act 1882: banned immigration for 10 years and stopped Chinese immigrants from becoming citizens

Congress passed a literacy test in opposition to Wilson

Where did they live? Most immigrants moved to the

cities for job opportunities Created neighborhoods that were

similar in religion, language and cultural beliefs

Helped each other through the difficult times

Immigrants Living Together

URBANIZATION

Urban Life Space became crowded so they built

upwards (skyscrapers) Invention of Elevators made it

possible to get to upper floors Concern for green space in cities

Solution: Designed city parks (Central Park, etc.)

Skyscrapers

Central Park

CLASS WARFARE?

Lifestyles of the classesThe wealthy The middle

classThe working class

-made money in industry and business-showed off wealth in homes (5th Ave)

-corporate employees and professionals

-most city residents-Lived in tenements-most women worked

Attempt to overcome poverty Settlement house – volunteers

helped teach English and job skills to immigrants

Hull House (Chicago) founded by Jane Adams and Ellen Gates Starr

Henry Street Settlement (New York) 1910 – over 400 settlement houses

in U.S.

CORRUPTION!

Political Scandals City Scandals

Machine bosses won support by giving jobs – expected votes

Tammany Hall (NYC) – Boss Tweed – convicted of fraud and sent to prison

Pendelton Civil Service Act: required promotion be made on merit not political connections

REFORM MOVEMENTS

Farmers’ Reform Movements

Crop prices falling Order of Patrons of Husbandry

(National Grange) Supreme Court ruled that federal

government should regulate this Interstate Commerce Act 1887: made

reasonable railroad rates

DISCRIMINATION!

Discrimination Wanted to keep African Americans

from voting – poll tax, literacy test Jim Crow Laws – legislature passed

to create and enforce segregation in public places

1st law passed in Tennessee – separate rail cars

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Homer Plessy (African American)

tested law in Louisiana and sat in a whites-only train

Arrested and case went to U.S. Supreme Court

Ruled “separate but equal” facilities did not violate the 14th amendment

Approaches to fight racism Booker T

Washington: born into slavery said to accept segregation for the moment

Acquire farming and vocational skills

Tuskegee Institute

W.E.B. Du Bois: should strive for full rights immediately

Founded the Niagara Movement

Niagara Movement founded NAACP

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

W.E.B. Du BOIS

Others face discrimination

Hispanic Americans

Asian Americans

Native Americans

-Mexican Immigrants – debt peonage:is a method of debt repayment in which an individual makes his payments to a creditor by physical labor.

-Limited where they can live-outlawed marriages with whites

Americanization Policy-lived on reservations-Indian Citizenship Act of 1924