Industrialization,

Urbanization, and
Immigration
1865-1924
 Industrial Growth
• Between 1865 and 1900, the u.s. experienced
unprecedented economic growth
• 1860 manufacturers had about $2 billion in value by
1900 they had over $11 billion
• Iron ore production nearly quadrupled from 7 million
long-tons to 27 million long-tons
• Steel output rose from less than 1 million tons to over
11 million tons
• GNP tripled during that time
• Railroad mileage increased from 30,000 to 250,000
miles
 Rise of Big Business
• By 1900 the American economy was dominated by business
monopolies or trusts, huge business empires that virtually
controlled key sectors of the economy and dominated social
and political life
• Trusts in sugar, cotton, tobacco, meat, flour, and even whiskey
• Number of industrial combinations rose from 12 to 305
between 1887 and 1903
• 2,600 smaller firms disappeared
• By 1900, 1 % of all companies produced 40% of the
manufacturing output
• GAPE saw the rise of the modern corporation
• Used 14th Amendment to gain “personhood” and rights
 Immigration Statistics
• 1860-1920 -- aprox. 30 million European
immigrants
• 1880-1920 -- appox. 27 million European
immigrants
• 2 “Waves” of immigrants
• 1860-1890 -- (approx. 10mil) Britain, Ireland,
Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Holland
• 1890-1920 -- (approx. 20mil) Italy, Greece,
Austro-Hungary, Russia, Romania, Turkey
 Immigration Statistics
• Compare 1882 and 1907
• 1882 -- peak of “old” immigration
• 788,992 total immigrants
 250,630 - German (highest ever)
 179,423 - Britain and Ireland
 105,326 - Scandinavia
 32,159 - Italy
 29,150 - Hapsburg Empire
 16,918 - Russia and Baltic States
• 87% from NW Europe and 13% from southern and
eastern Europe
 Immigration Statistics
• 1907 -- peak of “new” immigration
• 1,285,349 total immigrants
• 19.3% from NW Europe
• 80.7% from S&E Europe

• Although migration from NW Europe

continued throughout the GAPE by 1890s
so-called “new” immigrants dominated
immigration statistics
What Did They Know About the
U.S.?
• Heard of opportunities for employment through:
• “travelers’ tales
• Advertisements
• Guidebooks
• Pamphlets and Newspapers
• Where to Emigrate and Why
• Informed migrants on where, why, and how to go
• After 1867 virtually all migrants came over on steamships
 Cheaper and faster
 By 1880s primarily British and German steamers
 Where did they go?
• No area of the U.S. completely escaped immigration
(Butte Irish)
• But “new” immigrants were decidedly urban and mostly in
northeast and upper Midwest
• 80% of immigrants settled in places like NYC and Chicago -- New
England, New York, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa,
Wisconsin, Ohio proved especially attractive, because of jobs,
transportation, and support network (explain).
• 1890 - 56% of industrial laborers were foreign born or children of
foreign born
 Support Network

• Ethnic neighborhoods or “ghettos”

• Mutual aid societies
• Native language businesses and newspapers
• Job networks
• Churches and synagogues
• In some cases (Irish) local political machine
 Chinese Immigrants
In 1851, a racist from NC named Hinton Helper left his home
state to get away from what he referred to as the “diversity of
color” in America’s more settled regions.

He traveled to California and was shocked to find Chinese

people living there—so much so that he wondered out loud if
the “copper” of the Pacific would cause as much discord and
dissension as the “ebony” had on the Atlantic.

Between 1850 and 1882 the Chinese pop in the U.S. soared
from 7,520 to 300,000. Chinese comprised 8.6 percent of
California’s total pop and an impressive 25% of its wage
earners.
 Chinese Immigrants
• By 1870, 26% of California’s Chinese population lived in
San Francisco and represented 46% of the labor force in
SF four key industries; boot and shoe making, woolen
cloth, cigar and tobacco manufacture, and sewing.

• By 1880, Chinese comprised 52% boot and shoe. 44%

brick makers, 85% cigar makers, 33% of woolen mill
operators.
 Chinese Immigrants

• Like the Irish and the Italians, Chinese

faced what one scholar has referred to as a
“Negroization.”

• the NYT ran editorials arguing that free

blacks and Chinese posed a direct threat to
American republicanism, not to mention a
mongrolization of the “race”
 Chinese Exclusion

In calling for Chinese exclusion, one San Francisco paper

referred to them as morally inferior heathen savages who were
overly lustful and sensual. Chinese women were condemned as
a depraved class, which was attributed in large part to their
physical appearance. Critics thought they looked like Africans.
Chinese men were portrayed as a sexual threat to white women.

Chinese also compared to Indians and referred to as the “new

barbarians.”
 Chinese Exclusion
• In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese
Exclusion Act, which made it unlawful for
Chinese laborers to enter the country and
declared Chinese already living in the
United States ineligible for U.S. citizenship.
(10 yrs)
• Renewed in 1892 (10 yrs)
• Made permanent in 1902
• Remained in effect until 1943
End of “New” Immigration

• Immigration declined significantly after

1914
• World War I
• “New” Immigration ended almost
completely in 1924
• Congress passed the National Origins Act or
Immigration Restriction Act
• Limited number of entrants to 2% of 1890 census