Immigrationand

Growth of the Cities

Statue of Liberty poem“Give me your tired, your poor,

your huddled massesyearning to breathe free,

the wretched refuse of your teaming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tostto me,

I lift my lamp besidethe golden door!”

By Emma Lazarus

Ellis Island – entry point for immigrants coming from Europe

Angel Island -San Franciscoharbor – Asiansentered US hereon West coast

Immigration“Old Immigrants” – before 1890 welcomed

* workers for factories, mines, railroads* farmers for Western lands* consumers for products* men of special abilities, skills* military strength for nation* possessed customs and traditions similar to current Americans* easily adjusted, spread across nation* came chiefly from northwestern Europe

“New Immigrants – after 1890 not welcomed• Frontier closed – no more free/cheap land• American industry had sufficient workers• Took jobs away from current Americans (labor unions developed to protect jobs) • Customs different, Catholics, Jews vs. Protestant difficult to adjust or fit in• Settled mainly in cities forming ghettos, disease and crime• Seen as physically and mentally inferior to “Old” immigrants of Nordic background• Came chiefly from Southeastern Europe

Percentage of Foreign-born ImmigrantsBy Country in US as of 2006 of

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Tenements• Definition: low-cost apartment buildings

designed to house as many families(20) as the owner could pack in.

• Unhealthy, airless, garbage • Water had to be obtained from pump on

street – one toilet per floor in building• Groups of run-down tenements became

slums, dangerous, thieves, gangs• Few parks, children played in streets• Ghettos: areas in cities where one ethnic

or racial group dominated, ex. Chinatown, Little Italy

Early “sky scrapers”

Steel allowed for tallbuilding construction andthe invention of the elevator

Suburbs• Definition: residential communities

surrounding the cities.• improved transportation made

commuting much easier. This advanced the growth of cities.– Examples: Elevated train, cable cars,

electric trolleys, subway trains.

Political Machine

• Definition: an unofficial city organization designed to keep a particular group in power.– How did they operate? They exchanged

favors.• Example: They helped out immigrants in

exchange for votes.

– Why were they bad? They monopolized power and were often corrupt.

“Boss” Tweed: Most notorious political machine boss in NYC.

Graft• Definition: the use of one’s job to

gain profit.• Political machines did this often,

which is highly illegal.– Example: When a city government

(usually dominated by a political machine) plans to build a new city park they would overstate the value of the construction project, so they could keep the extra money for themselves.

Key Reminder:• This era (1870 – 1910) was known as

the Gilded Age of American History.– Gild – to cover something with gold to

make it look more valuable.

• This was a negative label given by Mark Twain because even though America was growing fast and becoming powerful there were still many problems like poverty and corruption in politics.

Corruption in National Politics:Spoils System -

– Definition: when elected officials appoint friends and supporters to government jobs, even if they are not qualified.

• Example: Michael Brown - Director of FEMA during Hurricane Katrina.

• Pendleton Civil Service Act -– Definition: required that applicants for

government jobs had to be qualified and, in some cases, take tests.

Pendleton Civil Service Act -Definition: required that applicants for government jobs had to be qualifieds, take tests.