Chapter 8 - Immigration, Politics, and Urban Life 2025-2026

New York Charity Organization Society

Tried to make charity a scientific enterprise by keeping files; also forged American ideals on immigrants.

Settlement Movement

Jane Addams established this movement; began in Britain because people believed just giving money to the poor would not solve the problems.

Social Gospel Movement

Built reform campaigns to treat the problems that led to social behaviors, instead of blaming immigrants; applied the teachings of Jesus directly to society.

False

T/F: Laissez-Faire policies encouraged government involvement in business.

Japan and China

The United States passes strict anti-immigration laws against which two Asian nations?

Tenements

What was another name for low cost apartment buildings?

Democratic Party

Which political party wanted to lower tariffs, supported farmers, and wanted to use a silver standard for money?

New York City

Over 80% of all immigrants first arrived in this U.S. city _____________ .

Ellis Island

The #1 processing station for immigrants that arrived in the steerage area of a ship was called ____________ ___________ .

Gentlemen's Agreement

An agreement between President Theodore Roosevelt and Japan that slowed immigration of Japanese workers to the United States. Only wealthy Japanese businessmen and land owners were allowed into the United States.

goal of prohibition

To ban alcohol to prevent vice and other immoral behavior.

President James A. Garfield

President Chester Arthur encouraged the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Act after the assassination of ____________________ .

southern and eastern Europe

After 1890, immigrants were primarily coming from which areas of Europe?

their votes at election time

Political machines often helped the poor and immigrants living in urban areas. In exchange political machines wanted:

nativists

People that disliked immigrants and tried to limit immigration to the U.S. were called ____________ .

high tariffs

Big businesses wanted protection from foreign competition and pressured government to have ________ tariffs.

Republican Party

This political party favored a gold standard, high tariffs, and government support of big businesses.

Interstate Commerce Act

An act (law) that banned the practice of giving special rebates to certain customers. Tried to limit the power of railroad monopolies.

William M. Tweed

The infamous Democratic Party boss of New York City (Tammany Hall) that was later caught and died in prison.

upper and middle class

Reformers that helped the urban poor were primarily from which social classes?

women that were single, educated, and from the middle or upper classes

Settlement houses were typically run by:

Thomas Nast

Social reformer and cartoonist that brought down boss Tweed.

political machine

A particular group that ran city politics (often illegally) and collected graft.

graft

Illegal profit made from a job, like a bribe.

Jacob Riis

American social reformer that used his photographs to improve the life of urban poor.

suburbs

With improved transportation, the wealthy and middle class moved to residential communities just outside of the a city called the ____________ .

tenements

Crowded apartment buildings that were unsafe, unsanitary, and were found throughout major cities were called ______ .

social gospel movement

A movement within religious organizations to help those less fortunate was called the ________________ .

sociology

The study of how people interact is called _________.

temperance movement

The movement to end the drinking of alcohol in the United States was called the ___________ movement.

Hull House

The most famous settlement house, created by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr was called the ____________ .

vice

Immoral, corrupt, or illegal behavior is known as _________ .

Munn V. Illinois

Supreme court ruling that allowed states to regulate railroads.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

Law that classified government jobs and tested applicants' qualifications for that job. Law was created to combat the spoils system.

spoils system

When elected politicians appointed friends and supporters to government jobs, even if they were not qualified for the job.

blue laws

Laws designed to regulate private activities that some consider immoral.

subsidy

A payment or loan made by the government to support certain businesses or industries.

rebate

Partial refunds or lower prices that favor certain customers. Railroad monopolies used these to drive competitors out of business.

civil service employees

Government workers that are NOT elected.

ghetto (early 1900s)

Area in which a single ethnic or racial group dominated. Allowed immigrants to adjust to life in the United States, still around people of similar culture and language.

steerage

Large open area beneath a ship's deck, poor immigrants often traveled to the United States in this area of the ship.

Gilded Age

Cheap base covered with glitter. Cheap base = poverty, slums, tenement housing, discrimination, political corruption glitter = new technology, industries, jobs, land out west, political and religious freedom