H-F1/5-6/12; T1/4/11 ; M1/12/09

Immigration & Urbanization

(Ch. 19; pp. 533-557)

Q: What impact did immigration and urban growth have on America in the late 19 th C?

I. Urbanization

• rapid postbellum urban growth • new cities (see chart p. 537) • old cities grew • Ex: NYC – 1898 – merge 5 boroughs (NY, Brooklyn largest cities)

A. Transportation Changes

• RR’s – manufacturing, trade hubs • regional networks • “walking cities” to urban sprawl • omnibuses (horse-drawn) – stench, dirty • cable cars (esp. Chicago) (draw diagram) • electric trolleys (Dodgers, SF) • Trolley Dodgers • flat rate

A. Transportation Changes

(cont.) • downtown (on streetcar routes) • department stores • everything available • special orders • early malls • Gimbels & Macys (NY)

B. Neighborhoods

• distinct socioeconomic neighborhoods • ethnic slums - immigrants • de facto segregation • m-c & wealthy – segregated • early suburbs (1 st of 3 waves – 1920s & 1950s) • • “dumbbell apartment” – tenements dumbbell apartments

C. Urban Renewal

• used new technology • land fill (Boston, NYC) • health reasons – clear out swamps (insects, disease) • • ex: Fenway, Back Bay in Boston (map on p. 553)

public parks – Frederick Law Olmstead & others (Central Park; Prospect Park; Golden Gate)

II. Immigration

• • • “new immigrants” • S & E European (approx. 2/3) • areas of entry – NYC & SF Castle Garden – 1855; Ellis Island – 1892 Angel Island – 1910 • • Asian – west coast • Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), Gentleman’s Agreement (1907) Statue of Liberty - Godfather II Godfather II Scene Ellis Island, c. 1906

Immigration Patterns

III. Social Critics A. Jacob Riis • • Danish photographer

How the Other Half Lives

• reporter, photographer • expose poverty • ethnic neighborhoods • m-c bias • “dumbbell apartment” – tenements – Half – Riis

B. Jane Addams

• settlement houses • Hull House – Chi.

• immigrant, poor • m-c, educated women • cultural clash • imposed m-c values

C. Social Gospel

• fix social problems • fight social injustices • Christian values • awareness to action • predecessor to Progressives – criticism of laissez-faire • m-c bias

D. New Organizations

• help immigrants & poor • Christian charity groups • YMCA, Salvation Army, Charity Organization Society (COS)

IV. City Government A. Corruption • machine politics - Boss Tweed • Tammany Hall – NYC • symbolic of urban corruption

B. Police Force

• crime increases • need for police • bribery • forced reforms • professional police force • Teddy Roosevelt – NYC Police Commissioner,

(1895-97)

Summary Questions

• Q: C&C cities in late 19 th Century to contemporary cities. Problems? Reforms? • Q: To what extent do cities in the late 19 th century resemble contemporary cities? Similarities? Differences? • Q: How did they deal w/ problems? Similarities? Differences?