US History Chapter 7: Immigrants and Urbanization

Reread the quotation from James Pendergast on page 268. Explain whether you agree or disagree that machine politicians did not coerce people.

Agree: Immigrants chose to support the machines because the machines could help them with everyday problems. Disagree: Immigrants were coerced into supporting the machines. If they didn't, no politicians would help them

What arguments can you make against nativism and anti-immigrant feeling? THINK ABOUT: -the personal qualities of immigrants -the reason for anti-immigrant feeling -the contributions of immigrants to the United States

America is a country that is almost completely composed of immigrants. Immigrants have been exploited for their labor, however used as scapegoats for problems that arise in the country as of ways to reform the political, economic, and social institutions. Anti-immigrantionists feelings have risen in the country on these minority groups. An example of such explicit racial discrimination is on Mexican and Latino immigrants who make up about a third of the country's immigrants. They are targeted and harassed by legal policing institutions, whereas the rest of the immigrant population of the English and Asians are not. Anti-immigrantionists arguments include damaging and harming impacts on immigrants on social services, educational systems, and labor force. These anti-immigrant arguments have been from nativists or racists in that they ignore statistical analysis of populations and the contributions that immigrants' labor has brought to America, including the wealth and productivity of the country, the tax base and the welfare programs, and the educational system.

education program designed to help immigrants assimilate to American culture

Americanization Movement

The main immigration processing station in San Francisco was called?

Angel Island

an immigration station in San Francisco Bay, California

Angel Island

grandson of President William Henry Harrison; won 1888 election; former Indiana senator

Benjamin Harrison

Why do you think tariff reform failed? Support your response with evidence from the chapter.

Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley both opposed lowering the tariff. Harrison got financed by big businesses, that wanted higher tariff, so if he would lower it, he would lose his financial support. Later, Cleveland wanted to lower the tariff, but he couldn't, because it would raise taxes on the public.

William M. Tweed; head of Tammany Hall (NYC's powerful democratic political machine); led the Tweed Ring (corrupt politicians)

Boss Tweed

This president surprised everyone by turning reformer. His efforts to persuade Congress to reform the civil service resulted in the Pendleton Act.

Chester A. Arthur

Which president changed his ideas on civil service reform when he gained the presidency?

Chester A. Arthur

What might be associated with the sharp decline in Chinese immigration in 1883-1884

Chinese Exclusion Act

a law, enacted in 1882, that prohibited all Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and government officials from entering the United States

Chinese Exclusion Act

an immigration station in a New York City Harbor

Ellis Island

How do you think politics in the United States would have been different if the Pendleton Civil Service Act had not been passed? THINK ABOUT: -the act's impact on federal workers -the act's impact on political fundraising -Republican Party conflicts

Federal employment would have continued to be dominated by politics, politicians would have been less dependent on big business for campaign funds, a key issue would have continued to divide the Republicans.

A 1907-1908 agreement between the U.S. and Japanese governments to limit Japanese immigration to the United States.

Gentlemen's Agreement

Democratic presidential candidate in 1884; won; attempted to lower taxes; lost 1888 election; won 1892 election

Grover Cleveland

Which group of immigrants do you think faced the greatest challenges in the United States? Why?

I think that the group of people that faced the worst times and the greatest challenges were the Chinese immigrants. These immigrants came to the United States to work for a better life. They worked mainly on the railroads and constructing new railroad tracks. When the railroads were completed and the railroad companies needed no more tracks, then the Chinese opened their own businesses, which were mostly a failure to them because the Americans would not go to their shops.

Which solution (or attempted solution) to an urban problem discussed in this section do you think had the most impact? Why?

I think the solution to an urban problem that had the most impact was mass transportation. Innovations in transit systems made it easier for people to get to and from jobs in big cities more easily. I think it was the most important because mass transit is still a large convenience in big cities today.

What were the effects of the massive influx of immigrants to the U.S. in the late 1800s?

In the late 1800s, due to the huge entry of immigrants to the U.S., a lot of anti-immigration feelings came forward. A huge effect on immigrants coming to the U.S. appeared in nativism. Nativism was when people showed favoritism toward native-born Americans

Ohio Congressman; independent presidential candidate in 1880 election; won election; shot twice on July 2, 1881

James A. Garfield

one of the most influential members of the Social Gospel Movement; co-founder of Chicago's Hull House; co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931

Jane Addams

The Gentlemen's Agreement limited the immigration of unskilled workers from?

Japan

Why did immigrants tend to group together in cities?

Many immigrants congregating with people who shared same cultural values, religions and languages.Ethnic communities were life rafts for immigrants. People pooled money to build churches and synagogues.They formed social clubs and aid societies.Founded orphanages and old peoples homes. Published newspapers in their own languages.

What effects did the migration from rural areas to the cities in the late 19th century have on urban society? THINK ABOUT: -why people moved to cities -the problems caused by rapid urban growth -the differences in the experiences of whites and blacks

Migration from rural areas to cities in the late 19th century had a few effects on urban society. Since racism was still prevalent, many businesses were still segregated and different races received very different treatment. There were also more jobs in the city, so migration to cities from rural areas increased and expanded the business market as opposed to the farming industry. The large increase in city populations, in turn, created many health issues such as unclean living conditions, prevalent crime, and greater fire risk.

Tammany Hall was the name of?

New York City political machine

an officeholder's power to appoint people—usually those who have helped him or her get elected—to positions in government

patronage

This authorized an independent civil service commission to make government appointments based on the merit system.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

This president was a strong supporter of civil-service reform. Although he did not succeed in getting Congress to go along with his plans for reform, he was able to clean up the nation's custom homes.

Rutherford B. Hayes

Who used the power of the presidency to clean up the New York Customs House but was unable to get support from Congress for civil service reform?

Rutherford B. Hayes

movement based on the belief that Christians have a responsibility to help improve working conditions and alleviate poverty

Social Gospel Movement

the nonmilitary branches of government administration

civil service

Many of the Southern farmers who lost their jobs because of improvements in farming techniques were?

african americans

what was designed to assimilate diverse people into the dominant culture?

americanization movement

The Pendleton Civil Service Act required?

applicants for government jobs to pass examinations

An example of patronage would be?

appointing a friend to a political position

The main goal of the Americanization movement was to?

assimilate people of various cultures into a dominant culture.

What issues prompted the assassination of President Garfield?

civil service reform

Urbanization is a term that describes the growth of?

cities

The assassination of President Garfield showed how strongly some people resisted reform of?

civil service

The main goal of the Chinese Exclusion Act was to?

decrease Chinese immigration

What did the Gentlemen's Agreement do?

decrease Japanese immigration

The illegal use of political influence for personal gain is called?

graft

any type of unethical or illegal use of political influence for personal gain.

graft

Some American workers felt threatened by Chinese immigration because Chinese workers would work for?

lower wages

transportation systems designed to move large numbers of people along fixed routes

mass transit

a mixture of people from different cultures and races who blend together by abandoning their native languages and cultures

melting pot

favoring the interests of native-born people over foreign-born people

nativism

organized groups that controlled the activities of a political party in a city.

political machine

What is an example of graft?

saying a project cost more than it did and keeping the difference for yourself

a community center providing assistance to residents—particularly immigrants—in a slum neighborhood

settlement house

The Social Gospel movement contributed to the development of?

settlement houses

What had some of the same goals as the Americanization movement?

settlement houses

what were community centers that provided assistance to the urban poor?

settlement houses

The row house was a new type of housing that conserved space by?

sharing side walls with other buildings

What was the main interest of the Social Gospel movement

social reform

Settlement houses were founded in the late 1800s by?

social reformers

The Stalwarts were strong supporters of?

spoils system

a multifamily urban dwelling, usually overcrowded and unsanitary

tenaments

Many city dwellers crowded into multifamily, often unsanitary?

tenements

What was the original purpose of the row house ?

to provide single-family homes for working-class families

What is the main purpose of patronage?

to reward one's supporters

the growth of cities

urbanization