american society Flashcards
where did the new wave of immigrants come from?
northern europe: germany, sweden, ireland, scotland
+ china
how many immigrants between 1860 + 1890?
10 million
what were the pull factors that prompted immigration?
‘empty’ land to be filled, expanding industries in need of a labour force, some willingness to welcome new arrivals to the ‘land of the free’
immigrants actively recruited by shipping companies, systems put in place to facilitate entry to america, e.g. castle garden reception centre
where did new immigrants settle?
early waves of scandinavian + german immigrants mostly settled in rural areas, irish in urban areas e.g. ny/chicago
industrialisation + urbanisation pulled more and more immigrants into cities
chinese immigrants settled west, working on transcontinental railroads
effects of mass immigration on population
population sharply increased, but this was also a result of declining death rates - increasing urbanisation drew more people to cities
impact of influx of immigrants on demographic of cities
districts of cities became distinctly eg. irish or german, - e.g. milwaukee wisconsin
consequences of immigration + urbanisation
created social tensions + divisions:
new immigrant communities regarded w/ hostility, seen as threat to jobs/social norms.
growth of nativism
tensions between ‘new’ and old immigrants
positive attitudes towards chinese immigrants
workers = cheap, hardworking, caused few social disturbances - many employers admired work ethic
discrimination against chinese immigrants
‘yellow peril’ advertised by newspapers + politicians prompted congress to pass chines exclusion act 1882
1879, hayes warned of ‘present chinese invasion’
economic depression following panic of 1873 accentuated fears that chinese labour would undermine white workers
what was the chinese exclusion act?
passed 1882, stopped the immigration of ‘skilled or unskilled’ chinese workers. prevented chinese people from gaining us citizenship, made hard for them to return if visited china. renewed in 1892 - finally repealed 1943
reactions against the rise of industrial capitalism?
farmers + workers set up groups e.g. the Granger Movement, Knights of Labour
emerging middle classes organised pressure groups to fight against rise of big business
how did the fight for female suffrage + equality develop?
ongoing fight - e.g. seneca falls convention of 1848 launched suffrage campaign
womens groups active in temperence movement + fight to abolish slavery
though…divisions within radical fem groups on issue of 14th + 15th amendments - some felt unfair etc
split in radical leaders e.g. elizabeth cady stanton + conservative e.g. susan B. anthony lasted 20+ yrs until formation of NAWSA 1890
what were the regional divisions in the north and east?
effects of industrialisation + urbanisation
industrial problems - striking and railroads
mass immigration –> social tensions + unrest
how did industrialsation affect the north + east?
cities boomed: e.g. ny, chicago
population of ny doubled between 1860 + 90, chicago x10
in n + e that populations grew fastest, railroads had biggest imapct + big business had greatest influence over state + fed govts
impact of railroad strike 1877
strikers fighting wage cuts. unrest spread between states, fights between strikers + national guard. strikes in pittsburgh - union rail depot set on fire, 40+ killed by miliitiamen. hayes sent in several thousand federal troops to restore order
what were the orange riots?
example of ethnic tensions = riots between irish protestants + catholics in ny in 1870 + 71
what were the divisions in the new south?
division between freed african americans + former slave owning white soc
resentment + class conflict amongst farmers
differences in african american attitudes
division between south + rest of country
what were ‘yankees’ ‘carpetbaggers’ and ‘scalawags’?
yankees - northerners
carpetbaggers - northern merchants + political agents accused of robbing valuables from defeated south
scalawags - southerners who’d collaborated with northerners to enrich themselves
in what ways was life in the west volatile and fast-changing?
mining towns e.g. virginia city nevada had sudden booms then were deserted when gold + mineral riches discovered elsewhere
weather harsh, droughts
in what ways was the west swiftly mythologised?
later through movies, but as early as 1883 in william cody’s ‘Buffalo Bill’s Wild West’ stage show
west idealised as breeding ground for rugged individualism, american pioneers
impact of settlement of the west on native americans
by 1890 native american way of life eradicated - confined to small, uneconomic reservations, native american children sent to schools to be ‘americanised’, slaughter of buffalo
what was the driving force behind the formation of organisations to represent independent farmers in late 1880s?
pushed aside by big business; in debt, desperate need for credit to buy seed, fertilisers + equipment
examples of farmers groups
the granger movement: formed 1867 as cooperative movement to help farmers w/ loans, advice, solidarity. hostile to railroad companies. support peaked 1880, then fell back
support shifted to farmers alliance, began 1870s, spread across southern + western states, more political approach - put up candidates in elections
what difficulties did black people face during this time?
economic restrictions: often restricted to sharecropping, nothing done to provide with own land.
political restrictions: right to vote obstructed, as well as right to equality before law
lynchings common + low level intimidation
what advances were there for some african americans?
demonstrated independence through moving away from home districts
chose new surnames, exercised right to marry, set up new churches + small businesses
thousands of new public schools opened. between 1866 - 1868 three african american universities opened - fisk uni, hampton uni, hampton institute – BUT racially mixed schools discouraged, over half african americans illiterate 1890
who was booker t washington?
african american spokesperson, heasd of tuskegee institute alabama, advocate for moderation and compromise. gained high reputation among norther liberals. had powerful influence before 1890, later criticised by more radical black advocates (e.g. WEB Du Bois) for being too accomodating to white supremacy
how did urbanisation affect african americans?
remained largely rural, still dependent on south, but after 1877 many began to leave
