The relationship between immigration, urbanization, and industrialization became dominantly significant by the launch of the Progressive Era between the years 1890 and 1920. Immigration increased at a staggering rate in which millions of immigrants from Western Europe, Southern Europe, and Eastern Asia sough economic opportunities. The United States, in the era, experienced large portions of its lands altered into massive cities with expanding industrial infrastructures. Despite these factors having greatly transformed American life, the nation’s inhabitants have only begun to realize the consequences for such an inevitable step of progress. Immigration had always been viewed as either a problem or a blessing on America ever since the first …show more content…
Despite the opposition of many Americans, immigrants have supported the US economy tremendously by obtaining low-paying and unwanted jobs, and have spread their diverse cultures and languages into public schools and communities. On the other hand, whites were still arguably the dominant race in the United States to which led to the ‘melting pot’ of American society. Many immigrants, commonly at Ellis Island, faced bribery from political party members by offering shelter, food, and employment in exchange for a vote for their certain party. Although these bribes shortly became highly complicated due to government voting regulations, the actions by the political parties strongly supported the process of assimilation of the immigrants into American culture and society. Moreover, massive waves of immigration had also led to growth in cities and in agricultural areas that in which eventually gave in to industrial economies in order to profit from the abundance of unemployed …show more content…
However, this was accounted by many of the cities in the New England and Middle states, but with the connection of the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts by railroads, urbanization increased extensively throughout western United States. In addition, the Homestead Act in 1862 influenced many Americans to settle out in the West in which as a result allowed possibility for Western urbanization. New innovations, such as the Bessemer Process and the assembly line, provided new techniques of transportation, and stronger and larger infrastructures that dramatically transformed older cities into very massive and much more complex urbanized areas. Ironic to immigration, very poor Africans and even Whites that were already living in the United States fled to the north to seek job opportunities and to escape discrimination due to enhanced laws caused by the “Plessy v. Ferguson” Supreme Court case in 1896. The large-scale wave of migrants, also called the “Great Migration”, intensively increased the urban population thus contributed to overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions. Not only did the population in cities increase, but the businesses and industries that have been established in those certain cities started to quickly expand across the nation, in which eventually gave rise to
The collection “Coming to America” is comprised of journal entries, biographies, and autobiographies that discuss the social and political transformations that arose from immigration. “Of Plymouth Plantation”, “Balboa”, and “‘Blaxicans’ and Other Reinvented Americans” illustrate how immigrants shape America’s direction. The changes that occurred when settlers migrated seriously impacted the nation they were travelling to. The first of these changes pertains to culture. Immigrants brought their religions and languages to their host country, and that caused a great deal of acculturation, usually to the new religion or language. Government is another principle that was implemented into the “inner workings” of the new country. Lastly, the newcomers
On December 31, 1890 a transition in history occured. New York City would start a new era in the history of the United States starting with the opening of Ellis Island as an immigration depo. This attracted many immigrants to the United Stated because of more job opportunities and as means to start a new life. As more immigrants came to America, it began to be known as the "land of opportunities". Immigrants coming in filled work spaces in industries with the hopes of someday becoming successful. These immigrants helped prove to other future immigrants that if you moved to America then you could start a better life for yourself and your families. On the other hand with positives come negatives and there were many involving
Immigration in the United States is a complex demographic activity that has been a major contribution to population growth and cultural change throughout much of the nation's history. The many aspects of immigration have controversy in economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants, settlement patterns, crime, and even voting behavior. Congress has passed many laws that have to do with immigrants especially in the 19th century such as the Naturalization Act of 1870, and the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, or even the Immigration Act of 1903 all to insure specific laws and boundaries set on immigrants. The life of immigrants has been drastically changed throughout the years of 1880-1925 through aspects such as immigrants taking non-immigrants
An outburst in growth of America’s big city population, places of 100,000 people or more jumped from about 6 million to 14 million between 1880 and 1900, cities had become a world of newcomers (551). America evolved into a land of factories, corporate enterprise, and industrial worker and, the surge in immigration supplied their workers. In the latter half of the 19th century, continued industrialization and urbanization sparked an increasing demand for a larger and cheaper labor force. The country's transformation from a rural agricultural society into an urban industrial nation attracted immigrants worldwide. As free land and free labor disappeared and as capitalists dominated the economy, dramatic social, political, and economic
Economically, they filled a significant need for cheap labor in booming American industries. The large numbers of immigrants helped keep labor cost down for Big Business and different groups were often put against each other in competition for the cheapest workers. Politically, different immigrant groups became active members of various labor organizations and unions, pushing to change pro-business laws and establish regulations governing working conditions and wages. And socially, American culture as it is known now was formed by this influx of immigrants. People from all over the planet brought with them not only their labor but also their cultures, helping to contribute to the mosaic that is the American way of life. These immigrants, as shown by the prejudice and discrimination directed towards them, were not always welcome. In economic hard times, immigrants were blamed for job shortages and family hardships, used as scapegoats for larger problems. Nativist movements were directed against the Chinese, Japanese, Italians, and others, especially during the 1880s and 90s. As evidenced by the Chinese Exclusion Act and later legislation that limited immigration from Japan and other regions, this anti-immigrant sentiment went as high up as the nation's capital. This history was simply a repeat of the nativism and hatred directed against the Irish and Germans of the 1840s and 1850s and is similar to that experienced in America today by immigrants from Mexico and Latin America. In the area of immigration, history repeats
During this time America saw some of its most rapid increase of immigration and population, not to mention westward expansion. Between 1880 and 1900 many cities grew in the hundreds of thousands, making work, shelter, and life a little more competitive. Much of this was
In 1917 America entered World War one. By doing this America played a grave role in conquering Germany and ushering peace to Europe. However, the Great War also meant that the US would change dramatically through historical issues and changes which resulted in American society. Industries had started to realise that it was not as simple as it was before to abstract the immigrants. As the country developed and became more successful it attracted outsiders who were searching for chances. During the 1920¡¯s the United States began to confine immigrants due to cultural and economical purposes. The immigrants faced several afflictions such as: racism and religious oppression. The examination of immigration expressed an important
Illegal Immigration has always been a problem in America and dates back to the twentieth century. It started with the banning of criminals and mentally ill who came from China. The first law was passed in 1870. It restricted residency to Asians and was only allowed to whites and African
During the 1880s, a dramatic transformation in the patterns of immigration occurred and continued decades after. There were many new immigrants coming from all over the world, but United States was the most popular place for immigrants (Industrialization, 10). As a result, in the late 19th century, the United States witnessed great urban growth. This period is usually known was the “Age of the Cities”. There are several reasons account for that growth, most of which relate to scientific discoveries and technological advances.
Between 1860 and 1920, immigration was at its highest than ever before with over 12 million immigrants arriving in America. Many arriving through either Ellis or Angel Island. But with the increasing immigration came with employers taking advantage. They often paid them less and had them work more hours because they did not have the same rights. Immigrants also had less of a voice than any other manual labor worker. But soon came the rise of labor unions. The most popular labor unions were the American Federation of Labor and the Knights of Labor. The American Federation of Labor was the organization that focused on skilled workers. Knights of Labor made the most difference with lower class workers, as well as, immigrant workers with the use
In the late nineteenth century known as the Gilded Age (or the Reconstruction period) and the early twentieth century known as the Progressive era, the nation went through great economic growth and social change. Beginning from the 1870s, there was rapid growth in innovations and big businesses. This could be because there was population growth and when there is population growth, there is a high demand of products and other necessities in order to strive in society. Many immigrants from Europe, mostly from the eastern and southern Europe, and Asia moved to American cities. Additionally, farmers from rural America desired to increase economically in society and since corporations ruled and political problems occurred, they decided to move
Even though we know immigration has occurred throughout all of U.S. history, the largest bits of immigration happened during just four distinct periods, they include the original British colonies, the continuous and westward expansion of the middle of the 19th century, and the peak of urbanization at the turn of the 20th century. The fourth peak period began in the 1970s and continues today. In these peak immigration periods, some fundamental transformations of the American economy have happened along side them. Of the first, European settlement cultivated and settled the Americas. The second allowed the starting United States to switch from a colonial system to an almost completely agricultural economy. With the industrial revolution, there was a big rise to a manufacturing economy during the third peak period. This propelled America to rise as one of the leading powers in the world. Then finally, the type that we study in class, is today's large-scale immigration that has coincided with increasing globalization and has been a part of the last stages of a transition from a manufacturing to a 21st century and seemingly
America's past is made up of immigrants who have came and formed our country. However illegal immigration has now plagued our economy. What happens when you allow millions into the country, both legally and illegally? Exactly what is happening today? You have tens or hundreds of groups, made up of various nationalities, from various places. Forming themselves into isolated communities, and then trying to get the country to change for them. This paper confirms detailed information on how America is being altered by mass immigration and by uncontrolled illegal immigrants.
During the 1920’s the United States really became a country of immigrants, even though not everyone was on board. In this time we saw immigration numbers that would far exceed the decades that would come after it and only to be surpasses by the decade that came before in a 40 year span. Almost 4.3 million people came to the US in the 1920’s and they spanned from far and wide to come to the US. Numbers would dip in the coming decades and would not surpass the million mark for at least two decades. These numbers saw drops that would relate to immigrant life and US immigration tactics.
From the years 1860-1890, the idea and product of Westward Expansion brought new innovations and new changes to America. Some of these developed changes included American borders being stretched across the Earth. The eastern Atlantic and the coast of the Pacific became connected and produced a national territory. Railroads began to emerge over millions of land acres which impacted the economy’s agricultural needs and wants. This was a fast-growing staple. With agriculture developing, it made room for cities to be made. These new cities made waves for people to migrate towards and for them to start their new lives. The cities of Chicago and New York reached a population increase of a million residents in the 1880s. The city of Philadelphia was not far behind with an increase of the same amount in the 1890s. But still currently, the environment experienced adverse effects from the forms of railroad expansion, the decline of wildlife, and the quality of soil decrease.