3 4 - 3 Immigration and Political Bosses

Immigration & Political Bosses

Essential Question

• How did nativism and racism affect immigration, laws and policies and the quality of life for immigrants

Immigration

1880 and 1920

• More than 20 million immigrants arrive.
  • Southern, Eastern and Central Europe
    • 4 million Italians
    • 2 million Jews
  • Settled in cities and worked in factories

Inspection Islands

• Ellis Island
  • New York Harbor
    • January 1892, First immigration station
    • Between 1892-1954, 12 million entered through.
• Angel Island
  • San Francisco Bay

New Immigrants 1890-1920

• South-Eastern Europe
  • Catholic
  • Different Languages
  • Settled in neighborhoods and maintained their cultures
• Old immigrants 1840-1870
  • Northern and West Europe
  • English Speaking
  • Protestant

Nativists

• Nativism: Policy or belief that protects or favors the interest of tha ntive population of a country over the interests of immigrants or those that they view as undesirable
• Nativists:
  • Americans that were hostile toward immigrants.
• Many attitudes against immigration and immigrants was due to the following reasons:
  • Immigrants were willing to work for lower wages
  • Flooded the job market

Chinese Exclusion Act

• 1882, suspended Chinese immigration for ten years and declared Chinese immigrants ineligible for naturalization - Pathway to citizenship
  • Was ued to curb the number of chinese immigrants coming to the united states specifically california
  • Impact:
    • Geary act of 1892 - extended the act for another 10 years
    • 1902, U.S made Chinese Immigration illegal
      • Ultimately, chinese immigration declined
        • Citizenship for Chinese Americans wasn’t granted until 1943

Gentleman’s Agreement

• Between the U.S and Japan
  • 1907-1908
  • Was enforced to restrict immigration from Japan to the US

Political Machines & Bosses

• Due to rapid growth in cities due to migration and immigration city governments were not able to handle the growing problems and issues. This caused the formation of Political Machines and Bosses.

**Political Machines: **

• A party organization / group that is managed / ran by a boss or small group that garners votes; maintains control politically and have administrative control of a city or county.
  • Offered services to voters and businesses in exchange for votes
  • Provided jobs and opportunities to immigrants
  • Oneo f the most famous politiacl machines was tammany hall.

Tammany Hall

• New York City, 1789 -1950s
• Controlled by the Democratic Party
• Helped the Poor and Immigrants
• Popular with the working class
• William Tweed - “Boss Tweed”
  • Political Boss of Tammany Hall
  • Stole over 200 million from Taxpayers