19th Century Cities – IndustrializationEssay Preview: 19th Century Cities – IndustrializationReport this essayAustin StorhaugAP American History2/7/200519th Century CitiesIn 1880, a national census determined that the United States had grown to a population of 50,100,000. 6,600,000 of those who helped account for the population growth of cities were immigrants arriving from around the world. Also, many rural Americans became attracted to the lure of the big city. This incredible condensation into the big cities led to many problems including crime. Overall, the lure of the city, the abundance of workers, and the corruption created developed a new city experience in the late 19th century.
An American city seemed extremely attractive from afar. Big city pleasures such as electricity, indoor plumbing, and telephones created jealousy from the rural farmers, who did not possess such things. Also, cities lured many people with architectural marvels such as the skyscrapers with their fancy elevators. Rural farmers started to think their lives as dull when compared to the late night glitter of the cities. Jobs were also another lure of the big city. Industrial jobs presented jobs for both men and women. Not only did these jobs provide an income in which the employee could spend at city department stores (such as New Yorks Macys) but also the income provided greater equality for many minorities as well as women. Theodore Dreisers further encouraged the glamorous city life belief when he wrote Sister Carrie (1990).
The lure of the city had one drawback, it attracted so many people that soon the cities became vastly overcrowded. Southern and eastern Europeanspoured into the country looking for jobs. They came with a history of little self government, and many were illiterate and impoverished. Soon, this diversity began to show as “little Italys” and “little Polands” became apparent in the big cities. Immigrants gave employers an opportunity to pay such low wages that organizations such as the Knights of Labor and the AF of L were created to create a better environment for workers. Also, as cities became overcrowded and slum neighborhoods were created. These veil slum neighborhoods consisting of cheaply made buildings such as dumbbell tenements and flophouses led to the sped of many diseases. Often slum neighbor hoods were occupied by poor immigrants who created cheap labor and often did not portray WASP values. As a result.many natives hated immigrants. In 1882, immigration restrictions
in the city resulted in a decrease in the number of immigration. Many were sent to foreign camps. During the 1870s an outbreak of bubonic plague, and the deaths of many in the city, led to large numbers to migrate. During the last few decades of the 1875, the immigrant influx had also decreased. The immigrants were not always successful, as they had to work hard and build upon the resources provided by their homes and jobs, but they still made up for their low wages by keeping open a multitude of jobs that were still open to foreign visitors. These immigrant immigrants also helped the immigrants. After 1882, a new system of immigration was implemented which allowed the native born to join the native and their families as well as the newcomers to join the new community.
By the mid- 1880s, immigrant success increased dramatically. Some of the “new” immigrants joined the new community due to the rapid growth of a new industry and the continued popularity and well being of various foreign and local natives and, more recently, immigration legislation. However, the real and obvious reasons for success that helped many immigrant immigrants in the late 1880s to escape poverty and poverty-like social conditions were a lack of work and a lack of housing. There was an increase in illiteracy as well as more immigrations than the population did in 1850. As a result, some immigrants remained in a state of poverty. A few immigrants were unable to find work and most never did so due to a lack in education or a lack of opportunities that were not well suited for their families.
A general change in immigration policy could not have been more effective to provide for the immigrant community and thus improve their position. The immigration policy could not have helped many immigrants. There were so many children born in the suburbs that they could not meet the needs of their parents or community of origin. There were so many immigrants who did not support themselves but who were not even educated or could not perform their needs perfectly. There were so many of them who had relatives who did not have enough money to buy them and those who wanted to start businesses but couldn’t because their incomes were too high. The immigrants also had to work as hard as possible. The cost of living was not easy and the labor was not always the same for all the people who did have jobs. All these factors combined with the lack in support and investment from their families and community brought about a significant increase in the number of immigrants who could not find a job even if they tried. In addition, there was no guarantee that they would succeed in this struggle. Even more important than a strong native-born life expectancy was the increased number of immigrants who could not find or marry and were simply unable to find a suitable place to stay. The numbers grew from 3,350 in 1860 to 38,000 by 1890. The number of foreign-born immigrants went from 8,500 in 1860 to 37,500 by 1890 with the highest number in 1860.
In 1883, the government created the United Nations Relief Society and developed various efforts to help immigrants and refugees in general and especially in the slums and ghetto area. During 1888 at the request of the Indian Department, the government also provided for a state-wide medical corps, and soon all local hospitals had to be closed for slum residents. During this period, a shortage of skilled workers drove many immigrant workers insane, and they began to live there. The number of Indians who did not work in the slums and ghetto area were a total of 5,650 in 1880.
While there are few reports of the number of immigrants seeking refugee status as the numbers for many poor immigrants increased, there are some anecdotal testimonies about Indian-Americans who have been turned away from their relatives whose families or communities are less economically secure and are now in poverty. These people also had an elevated rate of being denied visas or visas to seek entry to the United States.