Coming To Terms Coming To Terms With The New AgeWith The New Age

Starting in the 1820s their was a surge in immigration to the U.S.

Most immigrants came from Germany (political/economic) and Ireland (famine) and many were Catholic

Factories needed the unskilled laborers and led to the rise of nativism

Working and living conditions were harsh

Signs would often read ‘No Irish Need Apply” and most settled in NYC and Boston

Most Germans settled in PA and were wealthier than the Irish

Germans formed their own towns and created their own schools, churches which attracted more Germans

Gold Rush in California attracted Chinese immigrants to the mines

Almost all immigrants moved into ethnic neighborhoods to protect themselves from the nativist

Urban centers population skyrocketed during this migration period

Newspapers would depict Irish as monkeys and blacks

Life in America was hard on the 1st generation of immigrants but eased for 2nd and 3rd generations

Led to the rise of larger cities Cities located along major

transportation routes grew in wealth Benefits of the market system were

unevenly distributed Large gap between the rich and poor Water systems were poorly

regulated and outbreaks of diseases was common

Cities were slow to respond to outbreaks and the wealthy often fled the cities to their country estates

Penny Papers were a common form of communication for the poor

Whitman and Edgar Allan Poe written works appeared in these papers

Crime was high and NYC did not create a police force until 1845

African Americans in the north lived in cities and competed with immigrants and poor whites for jobs

Most faced segregation and job discrimination

African Americans would cluster into certain areas and create their own communities which were often poor

Early union organizations were very similar to party politics

Skilled workers across different trade lines would band together and formed the General Trades Union (GTU) in 1833

The goal was to improve working conditions and wages for their members

Machine politics would represent the class structure of a particular city

Machines would use the immigrant votes to gain power

Early NYC Irish immigrants quickly became Democrats

Tammany Society- the most powerful machine in NYC

Machines would hold rallies and parades to gain support

Often times votes were exchanged for govt. positions, community donations or just out of fear

Machines were controlled by the “Boss” and were often corrupt

Once in power political machines would then bribe, launder or steal money from the taxpayers

New middle class preached a moral reform in America

Evangelicals were very hostile towards the new Catholic immigrants

Temperance and sabbatarism (no business on Sunday) became popular

Women became deeply involved in reform movements and many focused on education

Horace Mann- pushed for public education in Massachusetts

Mann pushed for education funded by taxes, uniformity in curriculum, and better teacher training

Mann wanted grades based by age rather than one large classroom

American Society for the Promotion of Temperance (1826)- largest organization that tried to deal with the evils of alcohol

Many felt (women/religious people) America had a drinking problem

Many felt that it led to poverty, violence and was supported by the Whigs and opposed by the Democrats

Female Moral Reform Society- was the most successful anti-prostitution group in NYC

Dorothea Dix led the movement to help the mentally ill out of asylums

Many of the mentally ill lived in cages and were treated like animals

Massachusetts was one of the first states with a mental asylum

Shakers- followers of Mother Ann Lee who preached a religion of strict celibacy and communal living

Mormonism- led by Joseph Smith and preached strong unity to the group

Moved form NY to OH to MI, then to IL Many disliked Mormons b/c of their

unity and were polygamists Smith was killed by a mob and

Brigham Young moved the Mormons to Utah

American Colonization Society (1817) called for the emancipation of the slaves and the removal of freed blacks to Africa only 1,400 actually went

William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglas, Harriett Tubman and Sojourner Truth all wanted to abolish slavery

Garrison radicalized the northern abolitionist movement

Douglas, Truth and Grimke Sisters (White) wrote and spoke about their experiences with slavery

Frederick Douglas wrote the North Star

Abolitionists were growing in number and political power throughout the Antebellum period

• Harriet Beecher Stowe- wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin (account of slavery)

• Very controversial in the south• Lincoln described her as the

“little women whose book made such a great war.”

• Several books were written during this time period exposing the problems of slavery

Sarah and Angelina Grimke’s family were slave owners and hated it

They were very anti-slavery but also criticized b/c they were vocal women

Many women found it difficult to be heard in the reform movements b/c of their gender

• Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Mott

• Preached “all men and women are created equal.”

• Women become active in the abolitionist movement.

• Declaration of Sentiments- called for equality for men and women.

Reform movements of the Antebellum period were extremely successful in getting female support

Immigrants faced discrimination and poverty when they came to America

Abolitionist movement was divided amongst its members on how to achieve the emancipation