Study Guide Exam 1 I Reconstruction 1865 1877 A What were the North s goals for the South after the Civil War What were the South s needs North Goals Rebind the nation rebuild the south three elements o economic political racial II Immigration largest influx of people largest influx of immigration in America largest voluntary movement of Europeans in history A What were the origins of New Immigrants versus Old Immigrants New Immigrants from southern and eastern Europe Chinese Japanese Roman Catholic did not blend in with native American citizens lived alone among Western Europe Protestant blended in with current American same kind of people Old Immigrants citizens disliked new immigrants B Motivations for coming America Push Factors land consolidation overpopulated country side commercial farming mechanized agriculture hard to compete with industrialization religious political persecution Pull Factors higher wages higher standard of living better opportunity often considered to be temporary migration about 1 3 of immigrants returned to their native country C What conditions did immigrants encounter backbreaking labor poor living conditions moved into overcrowded urban slums ethnic enclaves lived with own type of people Nativism opposition to immigrants and immigration D What were Nativists concern about New Immigration Nativism opposition to immigrants and immigration referred to as immigrant problem concerned immigrants would work for very little which would drive down native born wages fear that infusion of inferior racial stock would mongrelize the American nation Groups such as American Protective Association APA and Immigration Restriction League attracted many native American members o advocated legislation to control number of immigrants Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 banned immigration of Chinese complaints from the West o Chinese became target of bigotry and violence more than any other immigrant group o so culturally different diff language clothes hair o suffered economic and legal discrimination causing Chinese economic depression Johnson Emergency Quota Act 1921 o intended to restrict who could immigrate o allowed the number of immigrants from the 1910 census 3 immigration Johnson Reid Act 1924 o revision of previous quota act reduced number of immigrants allowed to 1890 census 2 immigration American s not trying to end immigration shrink it rather to make immigration more like old immigration Immigration restrictions not lifted until 1960 next rise in immigration III Urbanizations and Industrialization A What were the problems associated with urban slums How did the philosophy of laissez faire contribute to the slum problems Urban Slums overcrowded dirty garbage in streets no indoor plumbing electricity or running water disease ridden Bandit s Roost Murderer s Alley Street Arabs homeless children Laissez faire minimum government interference in economy and with individuals individual self interest competition opposed taxation and regulation of commerce maximum liberty invisible hand of market place law of supply and demand Philosophy of laissez faire promoted limited government interference and believed in personal prosperity The lack of regulation led to the problem of the slums Also only being concerned for oneself meant that if people were suffering in the slums they were supposed to fix it themselves B How was technology seen as solution to urban problems garbage removal trash pickup service paved street water works indoor plumbing sewage treatment and disposal electricity outdoor lighting before indoor lighting street lights o due to street lights nightlife lost is bad connotation nightlife used to equal crime prostitution drinking with lights nighttime became time to do fun activities and use the time to its advantage C What was the urban political machine How did it operate What was patronage politics Was it effective as an interim solution to urban problems A political machine is a party organization that recruits voter loyalty with incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity Incentives include providing housing employment food entertainment parades and more It was expected that in return the party would receive votes This was popular during the Golden Age before candidate centered politics Urban political machine bosses of large corporations who traded goods and services for votes political machines Cities offered few social services immigrants and the poor relied on distribute jobs to turkey dinners for Christmas in exchange for votes more concerned about making money than providing for public contracts for urban services sewage streetcars etc went to those willing to pay most money provide largest kickback illegal form of pay in exchange for something Patronage politics in exchange for political support political machines would dispense secure and well paying political jobs this resulted in filling cities positions with incompetent and corrupt supporters or political machines Completely ineffective in solving urban problems Immigrants and the poor would support political machines in hopes that they would benefit but benefits were short lived Food in exchange for a vote didn t help poor immigrants in long run Boss Tweed William Marcy Tweed democratic party New York City usually embraced new immigrants manipulated immigrants to get votes in his favor did good for the community gave out 50 000 to poor made schools orphanages homeless shelters did a lot of good but pocketed and spent A LOT of money ruled for 4 years stole between 50 million and 200 million from New York City taxpayers through kickbacks and other schemes D What forms did corruption take during those times and why was the public willing to put up with them to the degree that it did E Who were robber barons How did they create their empires Robber Barons term used for powerful 19th century American businessman By the 1890s the term was typically applied to businessmen who were viewed as having used questionable practices to amass their wealth Allegedly their questionable practices usually included selling the product at extremely low prices and paying their workers very poorly in order to do so buying out the competitors that couldn t keep up and once there was no competition they would hike prices far above the original level It combines the sense of criminal robber and illegitimate aristocracy baron Andrew Carnegie Carnegie Steel Cornelius Vanderbilt
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