Challenges of Urbanization

• The rapid growth of cities forced people to contend with problems of housing, transportation, water, and sanitation.

• The technological boom in the 19th century contributed to the growing industrial strength of the US – resulting in rapid Urbanization – growth of cities. This mainly effected the Northeast and Midwest.

The Americanization Movement

• The government sponsored a campaign to assimilate people of wide-ranging cultures into the dominant culture, as immigrants by 1910 made up more than half of the populations of America’s major cities.

• Many immigrants were unwilling to give up their cultures.

Tenements

Many immigrant families took over old working-class family housing, and often lived with many families in a single residence. These dwellings were overcrowded and unsanitary – and often became the locations of sweatshops, where they were away from government control.

Transportation

• Innovations such as Mass Transit were transportations systems designed to move large numbers of people along fixed routes – which enabled workers to get to and from work more easily, and spread out cities as they linked to neighboring communities.

Water• Cities faced problems finding safe

drinking water. Many cities started building public waterworks, but most places still didn’t have indoor plumbing, and collected water from faucets in the street. Disease such as cholera and typhoid fever spread rapidly until filtration was introduced in the 1870s, and chlorination in 1908.

Sanitation

With growing cities, cleanliness became a huge problem. Horse manure piled up, sewage flowed in open gutters, and factories polluted the air. By 1900, many cities developed sewer lines and sanitation departments to collect the waste.

Fire

• Many cities had limited water supplies, which led often to widespread fires. During the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, lack of water for the wooden dwellings, as well as use of candles and kerosene heaters caused widespread destruction and death

Fire and Police Departments

• To help with fires and lawlessness, New York City organized the first full-time salaried police force in 1844, and Cincinnati, Ohio established the nations first paid Fire Department in 1853

The Social Gospel Movement was a reform program that preached salvation through service to the poor, which were often immigrants.

The often established Settlement Houses, community centers in slum neighborhoods that provided assistance to people in the area.

The Social Gospel Movement

• Settlement houses were often run by middle-class, college-educated women and provided classes, as well as finding healthcare for those in need, and whatever other kind of aid needed to support the communities.

• Jane Addams was one of the most influential members of the Social Gospel Movement, and with her partner started Chicago’s Hull House in 1889. Houses like this helped cultivate social responsibility toward the urban poor.

Jane Addams

Samuel Gompers

• Urban problems spread to the workplace – and as cities cleaned up, so did workplaces.

• Samual Gompers led and united craft unions into the American Federation of Labor which focused on collective bargaining and negotiating. Strikes got them the wages and working conditions they needed.

Eugene V Debs

• Eugene V Debs felt unions should include all laborers, skilled and unskilled, which he illustrated when forming the ARU. Though it’s enrollment was high, they often had problems winning strikes.

The Great Strike of 1877• The great Railroad Strike of 1877 began

on July 16, when railroad workers for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad staged a spontaneous strike after yet another wage cut. After President Rutherford Hayes sent federal troops to West Virginia to save the nation from “insurrection,” the strike spread across the nation.

Haymarket Square• On May 4, 1886 3000 people gathered in

Chicago’s Haymarket Square to protest police brutality (when they were strike-breaking). Someone bombed the police line, police fired – 7 police officers were killed, and many protesters died. Eight people demonstrating were convicted for inciting a riot – 4 were hanged and one committed suicide in prison. This led to public turning away from labor movement.

Steelworkers at Carnegie’s Steel Company in Pennsylvania had to strike when the companies president decided to cut wages. Frick, the president, hired Pinkerton Detective Agency guards to protect his plant. The workers battled the guards, killing many, until the National Guard was called in – the union members ended up giving up, and wouldn’t mobilize again for 45 years.

The Homestead Strike

During the Panic of 1893 and the following Depression, Pullman company laid off more than 3000 workers and cut the wages of it’s employees without cutting the cost of living. Pullman refused to negotiate, so workers went on strike. The strike turned violent, the President called in federal troops, and Pullman fired most of the strikers, and blacklisted others so they could never again get railway jobs. Eugene V Debs, negotiator for the union, was jailed.

The Pullman Strike

Politics of the Gilded AgePolitics of the Gilded Age

The Political MachineThe Political Machine

The Political MachineThe Political Machine

The political machine was The political machine was organized into a organized into a pyramidpyramid. . The The Precinct workersPrecinct workers and and captains at the bottom, captains at the bottom, Ward BossWard Boss in the middle, in the middle, and the and the City BossCity Boss at the at the top.top.

1.1. Many city bosses were 1Many city bosses were 1stst or 2or 2ndnd generation generation immigrantsimmigrants

2.2. The political machine The political machine provided services to provided services to immigrants and immigrants and businesses in exchange businesses in exchange for votes and support.for votes and support.

City Bosses InfluenceCity Bosses Influence

1.1. Whether or not the Boss officially Whether or not the Boss officially served as mayor, they controlled served as mayor, they controlled access to municipal jobs, business access to municipal jobs, business licenses, and influenced the courts.licenses, and influenced the courts.

2.2. The Boss controlled the activities of The Boss controlled the activities of the political party throughout the city.the political party throughout the city.

Roscoe ConklingRoscoe Conkling

Roscoe ConklingRoscoe Conkling was a Boss in New was a Boss in New York City, who used his power to build York City, who used his power to build parks, sewers, waterworks…and gave parks, sewers, waterworks…and gave money to schools, hospitals, and money to schools, hospitals, and orphanagesorphanages

Election Fraud and GraftElection Fraud and Graft

Voters often voted many times under Voters often voted many times under different namesdifferent names

1.1. After being elected, Bosses would put After being elected, Bosses would put workers in jobs for the city and often workers in jobs for the city and often have them charge too much for the work have them charge too much for the work they didthey did

2.2. They would take the extra money made, They would take the extra money made, called a called a GraftGraft or Kickback, and put it in or Kickback, and put it in their pocketstheir pockets

William “Boss” TweedWilliam “Boss” Tweed

William Tweed became head of Tammany Hall William Tweed became head of Tammany Hall in New York City – their most powerful in New York City – their most powerful democratic Political Machinedemocratic Political Machine

1.1. Boss Tweed charged $10 million more than Boss Tweed charged $10 million more than what was needed to build the county court what was needed to build the county court house.house.

2.2. Tweed was indicted on 120 counts of fraud Tweed was indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion, and opened up the eyes of and extortion, and opened up the eyes of lawmakers who could now push for lawmakers who could now push for political reformpolitical reform

Patronage Spurs ReformPatronage Spurs Reform

1.1. Patronage,Patronage, also known as the spoils also known as the spoils system, was when people gave system, was when people gave government jobs to those who helped government jobs to those who helped the candidate get electedthe candidate get elected

2.2. Reformers believed that jobs in civil Reformers believed that jobs in civil service and government service and government administration should go to the most administration should go to the most qualified persons based on a merit qualified persons based on a merit systemsystem

Reform PresidentsReform PresidentsPresident Rutherford B. HayesPresident Rutherford B. Hayes, ,

elected in 1876, had reform elected in 1876, had reform ideas, but no support from ideas, but no support from Congress.Congress.1. He appointed independents 1. He appointed independents to his Cabinet.to his Cabinet.2. He set up a commission to 2. He set up a commission to investigate the nation’s investigate the nation’s customs houses. Hayes fired customs houses. Hayes fired two top officials.two top officials.3. His actions made enemies of 3. His actions made enemies of the New York Stalwarts, the New York Stalwarts, supporters of the Republican supporters of the Republican machine and Roscoe Conkling.machine and Roscoe Conkling.

James A GarfieldJames A Garfield

President Hayes decides not to run for President Hayes decides not to run for re-election, and chaos rang out in the re-election, and chaos rang out in the Republican Party.Republican Party.1. 1. StalwartsStalwarts opposed changes in the opposed changes in the spoils systemspoils system2. Reformers wanted change2. Reformers wanted change

James GarfieldJames Garfield was independent, and the was independent, and the only candidate the party could agree only candidate the party could agree on.on.

James GarfieldJames Garfield

To balance out Garfield, To balance out Garfield, Chester A. ArthurChester A. Arthur was was nominated as Vice-President – he was a nominated as Vice-President – he was a Conkling supporter.Conkling supporter.

1. Arthur angered stalwarts by putting 1. Arthur angered stalwarts by putting mostly reformers into his patronage mostly reformers into his patronage positionspositions

2. Garfield was shot July 2, 1881 by a 2. Garfield was shot July 2, 1881 by a stalwart who was turned down for a job, and stalwart who was turned down for a job, and died September 19died September 19thth..

Chester A. ArthurChester A. Arthur

Though stalwarts were excited when Arthur Though stalwarts were excited when Arthur became President, Arthur was not exactly became President, Arthur was not exactly what they’d hoped for.what they’d hoped for.1. Arthur turned reformer as soon as he 1. Arthur turned reformer as soon as he became Presidentbecame President2. His first act was urging Congress to pass 2. His first act was urging Congress to pass the the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 – – hiring candidates for government jobs based hiring candidates for government jobs based on merit achieved by performance on an on merit achieved by performance on an exam. By 1901 more than 40% of government exam. By 1901 more than 40% of government jobs were civil service positions. Government jobs were civil service positions. Government jobs became more honest, but politicians jobs became more honest, but politicians found donations elsewhere.found donations elsewhere.

Business Buys InfluenceBusiness Buys Influence

When politicians couldn’t buy votes with jobs, When politicians couldn’t buy votes with jobs, they turned to business owners for money to they turned to business owners for money to campaign and help get them elected.campaign and help get them elected.1. In 1884, the Democratic Party won an 1. In 1884, the Democratic Party won an election for the first time in 25 years.election for the first time in 25 years.2. 2. Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland tried to reduce tariffs, tried to reduce tariffs, but Congress would not support him.but Congress would not support him.3. This angered business leaders, who liked 3. This angered business leaders, who liked high tariffs to keep prices up on local high tariffs to keep prices up on local products.products.

Benjamin HarrisonBenjamin Harrison

In 1888 Cleveland ran against In 1888 Cleveland ran against Benjamin Benjamin HarrisonHarrison. Harrison’s campaign was . Harrison’s campaign was financed by big business, and he won financed by big business, and he won the electoral votes, though not the the electoral votes, though not the popular vote.popular vote.

Once in office, he passed the Once in office, he passed the McKinley McKinley Tariff of 1890Tariff of 1890, raising tariffs to their , raising tariffs to their highest levels yet.highest levels yet.

Cleveland….againCleveland….again

In 1892 In 1892 Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland was again elected, was again elected, making him the only President to serve two making him the only President to serve two non-consecutivenon-consecutive terms. terms.

Though he supported lowering the McKinley Though he supported lowering the McKinley Tariff, he didn’t sign it because it called for a Tariff, he didn’t sign it because it called for a federal income tax as well – the bill passed federal income tax as well – the bill passed without his signature.without his signature.

He was successful in getting the He was successful in getting the Tenure of Tenure of Office Act repealedOffice Act repealed – and Cabinet members – and Cabinet members could now be fired without Senate approval.could now be fired without Senate approval.