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Chapter 21: Changes in American Life, 1880-1914 I. Cities Grow and Change A. Industrialization Expands Cities -the rise in industrialization also moved people into cities -industries located in cities because of good transportation and potential workers -this process is called urbanization -people migrated to cities from other countries and from the countryside B. Technology Changes City Life -the elevator and improvement in steel made sky scrapers possible -this allowed city populations to grow C. The Streetcar City -By 1900 electric streetcars replaced horse-drawn carriages to move people around cities -cities like New York began creating subways -streetcars and subways allowed cities to expand greatly in size -they no longer needed to be walkable D. Urban Disasters and Slums -overcrowding became a problem -many were forced to live in rundown tenements -many tenements had no running water -Slums developed E. Reformers Attack Urban Problems -some tried to tackle the many problems of the Age -The Social Gospel movement tried to improve the life of the poor -They tried to abolish child labor and other labor problems -they tried to offer a better alternative to tenements called settlement houses -these houses provided services like daycare -The most famous was Hull House in Chicago, run by Jane Adams F. Political Machines Run Cities -Political machines were political groups that held power over a city -often they got votes by handing out favors like jobs or food -they often cheated in elections and accepted bribes -Tammany Hall was the most famous political machine -led by William Marcy Tweed (“Boss Tweed”) -despite the corruption at times the political machines accomplished some good in cities II. The New Immigrants A. The New Immigrants -by 1900 much immigration had shifted from northern to southern Europe -these groups were called the new immigrants -many came from Italy and eastern Europe -the first stop for immigrants was often Ellis Island -here immigrants got health exams and were interviewed -On the west coast immigrants were processed at Angel Island B. Settling in America -Immigrants were looking for better opportunities and went where the jobs were -Most settled in big cities (Boston, NY, Philadelphia, etc.) -many settled in ethnic neighborhoods with people from the same region -Little Italy, Chinatown, etc. -many of these neighborhoods created unique cultures C. Immigrants Take Tough Jobs -Many immigrants took jobs in factories or sweatshops -Chinese immigrants settled in the West and worked on the railroads and set up stores -After a Revolution in Mexico in 1910 more Mexicans immigrated to the United States D. Becoming Americans -America is often described as a melting pot, where many cultures blend -Some immigrants did the best they could to assimilate into US society -Many immigrants faced prejudice in America -because of this prejudice some Americans tried to stop immigration E. Restrictions on Immigration -many Americans were afraid of competition for jobs -1882 Congress passed laws to restrict immigration, often these restrictions were based on racism against nonwhites -One of these laws was the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese immigration for about 10 years III. Segregation and Discrimination A. Racism Causes Discrimination -Racism towards African Americans and other groups was common in the late 1800’s -This racism lead to many forms of discrimination -As Reconstruction ended, southern states began passing discriminatory laws that took away rights won after the Civil War B. Segregation Expands in the South -Southern states passed laws creating reading tests, poll taxes and other ways to restrict voting -States found ways to keep poor whites from losing the vote based on these same criteria, such as grandfather clauses -Jim Crow laws were also passed, which created segregation: the separation of whites from blacks in public places -This lead to the creation of separate schools, restrooms, etc. C. Plessy v. Ferguson -African Americans resisted segregation but were largely powerless in the South -Homer Plessy, an African American sued saying that segregation was a violation of his 14th Amendment rights of “Equal protection under the law.” -His case made it to the Supreme Court in 1896 -Plessy lost when the court ruled that separate but equal was constitutional -however facilities were rarely “equal” D. African Americans Organize -Booker T. Washington was an early leader fighting to achieve equality -1881 he founded Tuskegee Institute to help African Americans learn a trade and gain economic strength -He did not challenge segregation, but wanted blacks to gain economic power -W.E.B. Du Bois encouraged African Americans to reject segregation outright -1909 Du Bois and others started the NAACP to fight for equality largely through the courts E. Violence in the South and North -The KKK continued its reign of terror to keep African Americans from challenging segregation or trying to vote -more than 2,500 African Americans were lynched between 1885 and 1900 -Ida B. Wells, an African American journalist who challenged segregation -Many blacks moved North to avoid harsh conditions in the South -While conditions were better in the North, discrimination and segregation were still problems F. Racism in the West -In the west Chinese immigrants, Mexican Americans, and other groups faced discrimination -Sometimes this discrimination lead to violence