Social and ethnic divisions 1890-1920 Flashcards
What dream of immigration came true up to a point?
The diverse cultures of immigrant communities would be merged together in a great ‘melting pot’ that would speed up the process of assimilation and bring about a harmonious society.
What was remarkable about this ‘melting pot’ optimism?
The fact that, considering the size and speed of demographic change, many ‘new Americans’ adopted American values as quickly and as willingly as they did.
However, what was the reality of the ‘melting pot’?
A patchwork of different communities where ethnic groups stuck closely together: Irish, German-American, Polish, and Jewish.
Give an example of this patchwork of different communities.
On the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York the densely populated Jewish Quarter rubbed shoulders with nearby Irish and Italian districts.
What did new immigrant communities have a massive impact on?
Municipal politics - people felt they needed protection against discrimination and were receptive to offers of help from local politicians.
How did these politicians respond to the immigrants’ desire?
They were more than willing to offer protection and patronage to secure votes in elections - they offered a kind of social safety net: help with jobs, welfare handouts in emergencies, and so on.
What was an iconic example of this relationship between politicians and immigrants?
Tammany Hall in NYC, but there were similar local political machines in Boston, Chicago, and all the major cities.
What did the rise of Populism have to do with this relationship between politicians and immigrants?
A backlash against this urban, mostly Catholic, political phenomenon was one of the reasons why Populism grew so strongly in the South and West in the 1890s.
Why did many immigrants join the trade unions?
Because they were recruited by union leaders like Samuel Gompers of the AFL, who were anxious to strengthen the unions against the employers.
Why were new immigrants often seen as a threat to workers?
They formed a pool of cheap, unskilled workers who could be used to undercut wages or to break strikes - often source of tension between older and newer immigrants, made worse by religious issues between Catholics and Protestants.
What was blamed on ‘foreign agitators’?
The wave of violence in the great strikes in the 1890s, such as the Homestead Strike of 1892 and the Pullman Strike of 1894.
