1 / 7

Challenges in America at the Turn of the 20th Century: Immigration, Racism, and Labor Issues

At the turn of the 20th century, America faced significant challenges, including mass immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe, leading to urbanization and the growth of ethnic neighborhoods often characterized by poor living conditions. Concurrently, the deepening racial divide showed starkly through segregation laws and high rates of lynching affecting African Americans. Worker exploitation was rampant, exemplified by events like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, while labor movements began to rise, advocating for safer conditions and fair wages. How will America respond to these compounding issues?

lilli
Download Presentation

Challenges in America at the Turn of the 20th Century: Immigration, Racism, and Labor Issues

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. TH2/6/14; W2/6/13; T1/24/12; F1/28/11; T1/26/10; T1/27/09 Problems on Eve of Progressive Era (Ch. 22.1; pp. 617-625) Q: What problems existed in America at the turn of the 20th Century? Q: Predict how, if at all, America will deal with these problems?

  2. I. Immigration & Urbanization (“Immigrant Masses & new Urban Middle-Class”) A. Immigration • S&E European immigrants • large families • financial reasons - high death rate; more income • economic competition – Natives, Afr.-Amer. • “Americanize” immigrants – assimilate

  3. I. Immigration & Urbanization (cont.) B. Urbanization • growing m-c • dirty cities • expanding cities • ethnic neighborhoods – often slums • poor living conditions • Jacob Riis “How Other Half Lives”

  4. II. Racism/African-American Issues (“African Americans in Racist Age”) A. Segregation • 1. de jure– South • Deep South – 80-90% Afr. Amer. • - “Jim Crow” laws • Plessy– “separate but equal” • - little pol. Influence – no vote • 2. de facto – North & West • 1890-1920: nadir of post-Emancipation Afr.-Amer. History • lynchings

  5. III. Corporate/Working Conditions (“Corporate Boardrooms, Factory Floors”) • mergers → monopolies • child labor • imm. Labor • dangerous, unsafe, dirty • Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire • 1911 – NYC – • 141 women die (30+ jump to death) • women, imm. labor, unsafe conditions • push for reform • Triangle Shirt Waist Fire

  6. IV. Workers (cont.)(“Workers Organize, Socialism Advances”) A. Unions • organize →unions • long hours, low wages • “bread & butter” issues – AFL • tension b/w management & labor 1. IWW – “Wobblies” • 1905 – Chi. • “Big Bill” Haywood • small – only 30K • 2. ILGWU – women • textiles/garment industry • unskilled workers

  7. IV. Workers (cont.) B. Socialism • Eugene Debs – SPA • height – 1912 – 120K members • 6% of vote – over 900K votes in 1912 • more idealistic – all workers

More Related