U S History I Chapter 15 Immigration

U. S. History I Chapter 15 Immigration & Urbanization Section 2 The Problems of Urbanization

v Urban Expansion n Opportunities: work, escape poverty, better life. n Industrial Revolution new mills, factories, mines & transportation systems. Need workers who live close to workplaces. n Settlers drawn to Northeast & Midwest. Urbanization resulted.

v n n n Why Immigrants Settled in Cities cheap/convenient place to live. Most settled not far from the ports where they arrived. Unskilled laborers had steady jobs in mills & factories. Cities provided social support of other immigrant families. 1890: twice as many Irish residents in New York City as in Dublin, Ireland. Largest Polish population in Chicago. 1910 immigrant families made up more than half the total population of 18 major American cities. Lived in ethnic neighborhoods with others from same country. Speak own language, practice their customs/religion while learning about new home from prior arrivals.

v Migration: n n Rural to City Innovations/Inventions in farming Mc. Cormick reaper / steel bladed plow. Need fewer farm laborers went to cities to find work. Many southern farmers who lost farming jobs African Americans. 1890 1910: 200, 000 African Americans move to cities (Chicago, Detroit). Moved to escape racial violence, economic hardship & political oppression. Conditions only somewhat better in the cities.

v Migration: n Rural to City con’t African Americans took low paying factory jobs or work as domestic servants due to racial prejudice & inadequate education. ities/Cultural Attractions slow pace in Cities/Cultural C immigrant’s native village & rural America. Cities exciting. NYC first moving pictures, Chicago Buffalo Bill Wild West Show & Boston baseball.

v Urban Problems v Housing n Row houses. Immigrants had 2 or 3 families in single family residences. n Multifamily dwellings also called tenements were overcrowded and unsanitary. n 1879 NYC passed law for minimum standards for plumbing & ventilation. Dumbbell tenements built to meet standards. Long, narrow, 5 or 6 story buildings shaped like barbells. Central part was indented on either side to allow for an air shaft & an outside window for each room.

v Transportation n 1873 San Francisco, cable cars introduced. n 1888 Richmond, VA electric streetcars. n 1897 Boston, electric subways.

v Water n 1840 s & 1850 s, NY & Cleveland built public waterworks. n 1893 chlorination introduced & filtration in 1908.

v Sanitation n Challenge to keep cities clean. n Scavengers, private contractors, hired to sweep streets, collect garbage & clean outhouses. Did not do their job adequately. n 1900, cities instituted sewer lines and sanitation departments.

v Fire n n n Limited water supply contributes to fires a major problem. Cities had wooden dwellings. Candles & kerosene heaters fire hazards. Firefighters generally volunteers. Cincinnati, Ohio established first paid fire department in 1853. 1874, automatic fire sprinkler invented. Brick, stone & concrete buildings made cities safer. 1871 Great Chicago Fire.

v Crime n Pickpockets, thieves & con men. n Murderers’ Alleys or Robbers’ Roosts, gangs of young toughs, controlled crime ridden areas of certain cities. n 1844 , NYC organized first salaried police force.

v Reformers n Social welfare reformers helped relieve poverty of immigrants & others. n The Social Gospel Movement preached salvation through service to the poor. Ministers inspired followers to erect churches in poor communities & persuaded business leaders to treat workers more fairly. n 1800 s, reformers establish settlement houses, community centers in slum neighborhoods that provided assistance & friendship. These promoted education, culture & social services.

v Reformers n 1886 con’t NYC, settlement houses founded by Charles Stover & Stanton Colt. n 1889 Jane Addams & Ellen Gates founded Chicago’s Hull House. n 1890 Janie Porter Barrett founded Locus Street Social Settlement in Hampton, VA, first settlement house for African Americans.

v Reformers n 1893 con’t Lillian D. Wald established NYC’s Henry Street Settlement House. n 1910 400 settlement houses across the country.