URBAN AMERICA IN THE GILDED AGE Writer and humorist, Mark Twain, wrote the novel The Gilded Age ridiculing Washington D.C. and many of the leading figures of the day. THE EXPANDING CITY & ITS PROBLEMS U.S. population doubled & urban population TRIPLED major cause? Industrial jobs & lure of urban lifestyle NY City is 2 nd largest city in world Immigrants crowding into cities aggravating problems of Overcrowding Public health Crime Immorality THE EXPANDING CITY Immigrants made up increasing proportion of urban population Why? They had few resources to buy land or farm equipment All eastern cities develop ethnic neighborhoods Little Italy, Chinatown, etc. Cities expanded up (skyscrapers) and out (trolley) Urban Infrastructure Overwhelmed Problems in cities included: Problems in cities included: Sewage (Chicago River an open sewer by 1890s) Sewage (Chicago River an open sewer by 1890s) Lack of drinkable water Lack of drinkable water Garbage disposal piled up in streets, rooting pigs Garbage disposal piled up in streets, rooting pigs Mounting waste showed shift to consumption! Mounting waste showed shift to consumption! Fire protection inadequate (all wood bldgs.) Fire protection inadequate (all wood bldgs.) GREAT CHICAGO FIRE! 1871 3 days, 300 dead, 100,000 homeless, $200 million destruction GREAT CHICAGO FIRE! 1871 3 days, 300 dead, 100,000 homeless, $200 million destruction Unsanitary living conditions led to disease Unsanitary living conditions led to disease Overcrowding & shoddy housing Overcrowding & shoddy housing Tenements Tenements Flophouses (cheap hotel/rooms) Flophouses (cheap hotel/rooms) Urban Infrastructure Overwhelmed Dumbbell Tenement Dumbbell Tenement, NYC Jacob Riis: How the Other Half Lives (1890) The Horrors of Life in the Slums Tenement Slum Living Lodgers Huddled Together Tenement Slum Living Struggling Immigrant Families Italian Ragpicker Slums Bred Criminals Prison population rate up 50% in 1880s Prison population rate up 50% in 1880s Homicide rate tripled Homicide rate tripled NY City gang riots (Gangs of New York!) NY City gang riots (Gangs of New York!) Thomas Burns created the first national crime registry in 1890 using mug shots to bring New York criminals to justice Thomas Burns created the first national crime registry in 1890 using mug shots to bring New York criminals to justice Thomas Burns Thomas Burns More affluent fled to bedroom communities of the suburbs More affluent fled to bedroom communities of the suburbs Nobs Hill San Francisco Nobs Hill San Francisco Beacon Hill - Boston Beacon Hill - Boston NEW IMMIGRANTS 25 million between 1866 & million between 1866 & million between 1880 & million between 1880 & 1910 FROM SOUTHERN & EASTERN EUROPE FROM SOUTHERN & EASTERN EUROPE Italians, Greeks, Poles, Jews, Slavs, Armenians, etc. Italians, Greeks, Poles, Jews, Slavs, Armenians, etc. Push factors: Push factors: European pop growth due to US food imports & European industrialization European pop growth due to US food imports & European industrialization Led to collapse of peasant farming in central and southern Europe Led to collapse of peasant farming in central and southern Europe Political & religious persecution (Russian Jews) Political & religious persecution (Russian Jews) Pull factors Pull factors Demand for labor in US due to industrialization Demand for labor in US due to industrialization Active promotion by railroads Active promotion by railroads Steamship travel better safer & speedier crossings at a cheaper price Steamship travel better safer & speedier crossings at a cheaper price Birds of Passage Birds of Passage NEW IMMIGRANTS Mostly peasants; harder to assimilate than Old Irish & German immigrants Why? Mostly peasants; harder to assimilate than Old Irish & German immigrants Why? Language barriers; lacked education Language barriers; lacked education Clannish created ethnic neighborhoods Clannish created ethnic neighborhoods Religious differences CATHOLIC Religious differences CATHOLIC Political differences no experience with democracy Political differences no experience with democracy Older Americans conclude they are incapable of becoming good citizens & should be kept out Older Americans conclude they are incapable of becoming good citizens & should be kept out Is the U.S. a melting pot or dumping ground? Is the U.S. a melting pot or dumping ground? NEW IMMIGRANTS Mostly peasants; harder to assimilate than Old Irish & German immigrants Why? Mostly peasants; harder to assimilate than Old Irish & German immigrants Why? Language barriers; lacked education Language barriers; lacked education Clannish created ethnic neighborhoods Clannish created ethnic neighborhoods Religious differences CATHOLIC Religious differences CATHOLIC Older Americans conclude they are incapable of becoming good citizens & should be kept out Older Americans conclude they are incapable of becoming good citizens & should be kept out Is the U.S. a melting pot or dumping ground? Is the U.S. a melting pot or dumping ground? Nativism thrives against Europes human & inhuman rubbish primary reason? Nativism thrives against Europes human & inhuman rubbish primary reason? Taking away jobs & holding down wages! Taking away jobs & holding down wages! CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT OF 1882! CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT OF 1882! American Protective Association, 1887 (anti-Catholic) American Protective Association, 1887 (anti-Catholic) U.S. Office of Immigration establishedwith power to exclude immigrants U.S. Office of Immigration establishedwith power to exclude immigrants Some other limitation efforts literacy tests Some other limitation efforts literacy tests Bill passes Congress, vetoed by Cleveland Why? Bill passes Congress, vetoed by Cleveland Why? too radical a departure from the generous & free-handed policy of the past. too radical a departure from the generous & free-handed policy of the past. The Chinese Question Exclusion Act (1882) - Oriental Exclusion Act - Chinese Exclusion Act Ellis Island "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." THE SETTLEMENT HOUSES Community centers in poor urban areas to improve plight of the disadvantaged & aid in assimilation into mainstream society Community centers in poor urban areas to improve plight of the disadvantaged & aid in assimilation into mainstream society Provide guidance, education services, legal advice, English, home ec, etc. Provide guidance, education services, legal advice, English, home ec, etc. Run by female, college- graduate, middle-class volunteers Run by female, college- graduate, middle-class volunteers HULL HOUSE CHICAGO Jane Addams Jane Addams Outstanding cultural Outstanding cultural program with classes in music, art Gym, day nursery, social clubs Gym, day nursery, social clubs Nobel Peace Prize, 1931 Nobel Peace Prize, 1931 Settlement houses fighting a losing battle though why? Settlement houses fighting a losing battle though why? need government $ to keep abreast of the problem need government $ to keep abreast of the problem