The Gilded Age

Immigration to Urbanization

Flashback & Bellringer

FB: What attracted many Asians to the U.S. in
the late 1800s?
a) Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act
b) The desire for free land
c) Jobs with American railroad companies
d) The Gentlemans Agreement
BR: Predict why many immigrants supported city
political machines in the early 1900s?
e) Political machines were free of corruption
f) Political machines provided them with jobs
g) Political machines put powerful bosses out of business
h) Political machines fought against crime in the slums

Review of Key
Ideas
1. Innovation,
resources, and government policies encouraged
industrialism.
2. Giants of industry created the Gilded Age.
3. Industrialism had positive and negative effects.
4. Workers responded to industrial conditions by creating
unions.
5. Despite efforts by unions, workers had to continue fighting
bad workplace conditions.
6. One event finally drew attention to the problem of workplace
safety.
7. A new wave of immigrants came to the U.S. at the
beginning of the 20th century, pulled by economic
opportunity and freedom.
8. Old immigrants differed from new immigrants in regards
to their home countries, cultures, and experiences.
9. Early 20th century Americans appreciated New immigrants
for providing a work force and introducing new cultures.
10. Early 20th century Americans disliked New immigrants
because of their cultural differences and competition for jobs
and housing.

Key Ideas
Industrialization,

Immigration, and
Urbanization are interconnected.
What is interconnected?
How does each lead to the others?

Increased

urban populations created

problems for the cities.
What problems arise from overpopulation?

Gilded

Age politics were plagued with

corruption.
What is corruption?
How did political machines gain power?

URBANIZATION
The rapid growth of cities in response to immigration and
industrialization in America between 1880 and 1920.

Industrialization, Immigration and

Urbanization each impacted the
others
Industrializat
ion

More people in
the cities
needed more
build up,
which
provided more
jobs

Urbanization

Increased
populations filled

Provided jobs
which
encouraged more
people to come

Immigration

Skyscrapers building up

Streetcars building out

The New City

Innovations

Skyscrapers

Streetcars

Electric

Steel

allowed
buildings to go
upward
Provided more work
and living space

transportation
provided faster and
further transit to jobs
Allowed wealthier to
live outside of cities
away from crime,
pollution, and poverty
Suburbs

Impact of Innovations

THE REAL CITY

Overcrowding, corruption, and other

problems arose in the rapidly growing cities.

What

problems do you imagine arose as a result of

overpopulation and overcrowding in the cities?

Problems in Cities
Tenement

housing crammed poor

families into small apartments
Poor sanitation
Poor ventilation
Polluted water
Unsafe (fire, crime, spread of
disease)
Juvenile crime
Gangs and theft

POLITICAL
MACHINES
City political groups
formed headed by bosses who promised
improved city conditions and jobs to city dwellers in exchange
for votes.

Bosses

gave favors
and used intimidation
and corrupt methods
to control cities.
Boss Tweed of
Tammany Hall in NYC
used corruption to
steal $40 to $200
MILLION from
taxpayers.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT!

Early reformers arise to solve the problems of the

cities.
Settlement

Houses, such as the

Hull House formed by Jane
Addams, opened in all major
cities
Provided English lessons, daycare,
job training, and neighborhood
social programs

Social

Gospel Movement tried to

apply Christian principals to city
urban problems
Temperance Movement attacked
alcohol as the cause of all urban
problems

DRAWING ATTENTION!

Some reformers used their talents to call

attention to the problems of the city.
Jacob

Riis
photographed the
urban dwellings to
show the problems of
the poor in the slums.
Published photographs
and stories of the
people in How the
Other Half Lives.

Class Activity Directions

ANALYZE THE IMAGES TAKEN BY JACOB RIIS
WHAT IS HE SHOWING?
WHAT IS HIS MESSAGE?
HOW COULD THE SITUATION BE IMPROVED?

1:
F
I
V
E
C
E
N
T
S
L
O
D
G
I
N
G

2:
C
I
T
Y
S
C
A
P
E

3:
B
A
N
D
I
T
S
R
O
O
S
T

4:
S
T
R
E
E
T
S
L
E
E
P
I
N
G

5:
C
O
A
L
H
E
A
V
E
R
S
H
O
M
E

6:
A
C
A
V
E
D
W
E
L
L
E
R

7:
M
I
N
D
I
N
G
B
A
B
Y

8:
C
I
G
A
R
E
T
T
E
M
A
K
E
R
F
A
M
I
L
Y

9
:
I
T
A
L
I
A
N
M
O
T
H
E
R

10
:
A
G
R
O
W
L
E
R
G
A
N
G

11
:
W
O
M
E
N
S
S
L
E
E
P
I
N
G
R
O
O
M

12
:
F
A
M
I
L
Y
M
A
K
I
N
G
A
L
I
V
I
N
G

13
:
L
U
D
L
O
W
S
W
E
A
T
S
H
O
P

14:
S
I
S
T
E
R
I
R
E
N
E
F
O
S
T
E
R
H
O
M
E

15:
D
R
I
L
L
I
N
G
T
H
E
G
A
N
G

16:
C
R
A
P
S
I
N
T
H
E
H
A
L
L

Jacob Riis Impact

Statement
WHAT IMPACT WAS MADE BY JACOB RIIS?
WRITE A STATEMENT WITH SPECIFIC
DETAILS ON HIS CONTRIBUTION OF
BRINGING ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEMS
IN THE CITIES.

Exit Slip
If

you were a modern day Jacob

Riis, what photograph would you
take to represent modern urban
life. Draw or describe it.