Chapter 18 - US History 2

New Immigrants

By the 1890’s, most of the immigrants came from southern and Eastern Europe.

These people would form their own ethnic communities (“immigrant ghettoes”) within the cities.

Assimilation

Most of the immigrants worked to become Americanized.

Nativism

Some of the Americans blamed the disorder and corruption of the cities on the immigrants.

Others resented their willingness to work for lower wages.

Exclusion of the Chinese, 1882 or

Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882

Congress voted to halt any further immigration of the Chinese.

Suburbs

New, smaller communities on the fringes of the big cities that attracted some of the wealthy and moderately wealthy.

Tenements

Long block apartments.

Originally intended to provide working people with cheap rental housing.

Degenerated into miserable slum dwellings.

Mass Transportation

The answer to the needs of commuters:

• Horse-drawn streetcars

• Steam-powered railways

• Cable cars

• Electric trolleys

• Subways

Electric Trolley

First introduced in Richmond, VA in 1888.

By 1895, 850 towns and cities had them.

Skyscrapers

Solution to overcrowded downtown areas.

First built in Chicago 1884.

Louis Sullivan

Chicago architect.

Most important figure in the early development of the skyscraper.

Great Chicago Fire -1871

A tragedy common to many cities that were built almost entirely out of wood (even the sidewalks).

Results of Major Fires

Construction of fireproof buildings.

Development of professional fire departments.

Cities forced to rebuild at a time of new technological and architectural innovations.

Strains of Urban Life

• Fires

• Disease

• Poverty

• Crowding

• Crime

• Violence

Political Machines

Organizations that dispensed favors to the voters who gave them power.

Run by “bosses”; dispensed favors.

“Bosses”

Main job was to win votes for their organizations.

Accomplished by providing their people with food, jobs, and opportunities were rising in the political machine.

William M. Tweed

Boss of the New York City’s Tammany Hall machine in the 1860’s and 1870’s.

Most famous and corrupt boss.

Went to jail.

Reasons for the Success of the “Boss Rule”

Power of immigrant voters.

Wealthy, prominent citizens profited from their dealings with bosses and saw to it that they kept their power.

City governments were often weak and divided in authority.

Consumer Market Advances

• Ready-made clothing

• Home ice boxes

• Chain stores

• Canned food

• Refrigerated railroad cars