Day 102: America Moves to the CityBaltimore Polytechnic Institute
February 8, 2013A/A.P. U.S. History
Mr. Green
Objectives: Students will:Describe the rise of the American industrial city, and place it in the
context of worldwide trends of urbanization and mass migration (the European diaspora).
Describe the New Immigration, and explain how it differed from the Old Immigration and why it aroused opposition from many native-born Americans.
Discuss the efforts of social reformers and churches to aid the New Immigrants and alleviate urban problems, and the immigrants’ own efforts to sustain their traditions while assimilating to mainstream America.
AP FocusIndustrialization sparks urbanization, and cities become magnets for
immigrants. Those who can afford to leave behind the hustle and bustle of urban life move to the budding suburbs. See the table in The American Pageant (13th ed., p. 560/14th ed., p. 598). Demographic Changes is an AP theme.
The late nineteenth century sees a surge of immigration, now from eastern and southern Europe. Most encounter living and working conditions not appreciably better than what they had left. The tenement floor plan (13th ed., p. 561/14th ed., p. 599) shows typical living conditions for impoverished urban workers.
America Moves to the City
CHAPTER THEMESIn the late nineteenth century,
American society was increasingly dominated by large urban centers. Explosive urban growth was accompanied by often disturbing changes, including the New Immigration, crowded slums, new religious outlooks, and conflicts over culture and values. While many Americans were disturbed by the new urban problems, cities also offered opportunities to women and expanded cultural horizons.
Chapter Focus
Begin reading chapter 25
Announcements
Cities across the world expandedImpacts of urbanization
commuters-electric street cars, subwaysurban lifestyle attractionconsumerism rather than virtues of thriftskyscraperscrimesanitationslums, dumbbell tenementsfires
The UrbanFrontier
The Shift to the American City
This chart shows the percentage of total population living in locales with a population of twenty-five hundred or more. Note the slowing of the cityward trend from 1970 on.
2 million immigrants between 1850s and 1870s
5 million in the 1880sPrior to 1880-British Isles/Western Europe-
Germany/ChinaAfter 1880-southern/eastern Europe
Italians, Jews, Croats, Slovaks, Greeks, and Poles
19% of immigrants in 1880s-early 20th century 66% of immigrants
The New Immigration
Old and New Immigration (by decade)
European DiasporaA dispersion of a people from their original homeland
European cities growing vigorously as a result of fish/grains from U.S. cultivation of the potato
America lettersProfit-seeking AmericansSavage persecutionsBirds of passage-25% between 1820-1900
Southern Europe Uprooted
Immigrants received no support from federal and state governments
Many turned to city “bosses”Bosses traded jobs/services for votes“Social Gospel”
churches address social issues of the dayJane Addams
Hull House in Chicago 1889Settlement houses
women’s activism/social reformWomen workers were single, as work for married women was
taboo
Reactions to the New Immigration
Native born Americans concerned with the New Immigrantsreligionculturehigh birthratenot Anglo-Saxon-they would disappearcorruptioncheap laborpolitical beliefs
American Protective Association Anti-Catholic
Use as strikebreakers, hard to organize1882-paupers, criminals, convicts and Chinese1885-banned foreign workers under contract1886-Statue of Liberty
Narrowing the Welcome Mat
Liberal Protestantsrejected biblical literalismstories as models for behavior
Roman Catholics1900-largest single denomination
JudaismSalvation Army-from EnglandChurch of Christ, Scientist-heal the sickYMCA, YWCA
Churches Confront the Urban Challenge
1. What new opportunities and social problems did the cities create for Americans?2. In what ways was American urbanization simply part of a worldwide trend, and in what ways did it reflect particular American circumstances? How did the influx of millions of mostly European immigrants create a special dimension to America’s urban problems?3. How did the New Immigration differ from the Old Immigration, and how did Americans respond to it?4. How was American religion affected by the urban transformation, the New Immigration, and cultural and intellectual changes?
Discussion
Begin Reading 1st ½ of Chapter 25 Prepare for 5 question reading check on first
½ of Chapter 25 on Monday Begin working on 1890s decade chart Test on Fri/Monday
Homework