The migration to the cities of America provided numerous opportunities that didn’t exist on the urban frontier. With the increasing population and industrial revolutions occurring throughout the western world, the stage was set for the mass exodus to the cities. It would prove to be the only suitable location that could provide the support for such an upsurge in the nation. By having the capability of growing up and out, cities promoted such growth and the change in lifestyle needed for such dramatic changes. Moreover, the cities provided electricity, indoor plumbing, telephones, and a night life that was far better than the frontier life. These luxuries, combined with far more employment opportunities, made the city the place to go for both the immigrants and farmers of America.

            Many factors led to the creation and appeal of the cities. The revolution in agriculture led to cheap foodstuffs, in both American and Europe, and drove the peasants from the farms to the cities. This fueled the industrial revolution in the cities dramatically. The entire country was transforming into a new structured way of life. No longer did the work schedule consist of waking early and tending to the livestock. The new schedule was a set work week in up and coming factories. Although many of these new changes provided jobs and a new, more appealing way of life to some, there were those who lived the hard life in the slums of these metropolises. Segregation of races and ethnicities made the already depressed conditions worse. The overwhelming tendency to allow everyone in, but not the same opportunities created the social and economic problems that grew in the now booming cities.

            One of the reasons for such segregation in the cities was due to the new immigration inundating the nation. Rather than originating from the British Isles, the new immigrants came from Eastern and Southern states in Europe. Believing in orthodox religions, their mother countries were usually accustomed to the ills of despotism. But more importantly, their illiterate and impoverished background made industrial jobs more appealing than the farms. Seeking to escape their homelands in search of more opportunities, they were willing to take less in order to stay here. By not expecting as much as current residents, their conditions were far less desirable and more difficult to manage. For this reason, the natives were very prejudice toward the Italians and Jewish people that had arrived in America.

            Even more interesting about the new breed of immigrants to America was the desire to make the lives of those they left behind better. Nearly a fourth of the immigrant population were “birds of passage” whose sole purpose of coming to America was to provide financial assistance to the family members left behind. Not even wanting to become American citizens, these people felt America was a source of needed income rather than a salvation. Once again, these ideas fueled the fire of nativism and made these immigrants easy targets for their racial backlashes and ethnic quips. However, the new opportunities of the cities allowed the new immigrants to accomplish what they set out for. Even amidst the horrible conditions, these immigrants proved their worthiness through their dedication to their cause and relentless attitude in the face of difficulty.

During the nineteenth century the population of the United States was rising at a very fast pace.  Between the years 1870 and 1900 the American population doubled.  Also during this time the amount of people living in cities increased.  “By the end of the nineteenth century, 4 out of 10 Americans were city dwellers, in striking contrast to the rustic population of stagecoach days” (565).  By 1890 New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia each had more than a million inhabitants.  New York grew even further, and by the year of 1900 about 3.5 million people were living there.  New York was now the second largest city in the world.  If these cities and other cities around the United States were able to grow at such fast rates, there must have been something that was attracting these people to the city. 

            The main reason why so many people wanted to move to a city was the abundance of jobs.  These industrial jobs would provide a source of income for people who were not very successful working on the farm.  In a city people could work in a department store, or in factories to help create objects to be sold.  People could also participate in the constructing of the magnificent structures, such as the skyscraper, that could be found throughout cities.

            Another aspect of city life that was appealing to the rural families was the urban lifestyles.  Some objects that could be found in the city to be used were telephones, indoor plumbing, and electricity.  Also the glamour that could be found in the city was very alluring.  There were bright lights, soaring skyscrapers, structure such as the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, and many other wonders that could be found in the major cities.  Huge department stores were also very fascinating to the country folk.  These stores, such as Marshall Field’s in Chicago and Macy’s in New York, could also provide jobs to people living in the city.

            Another opportunity that was created by the cities was the possibility of becoming wealthier.  People who lived their lives working on a farm usually did not have any way to gain more money.  However in the city, anything was possible.  Someone could get lucky and obtain a job that would pay them much more than what they could have earned on a farm.  Also in a city a person can increase their status because of the wide variety of jobs.  In city businesses a person always can have the hope of taking over someone’s job that is higher and pays more than theirs. 

            People who came to the big cities of the United States came looking for opportunities.  They were many jobs waiting to be applied for in the cities.  There was also the possibility of getting a very good job that would pay very well.  People came to the city looking for a way to make enough money, or even more than enough money, to take care of their families.  The life of the city also attracted people living on the farm.  There were many more luxuries, such as indoor plumbing and electricity, which could not be found in the country.  The combination of opportunities and the glamour found in the city caused people all over the world to desire to move into the big cities of America. 
Chapter 25 Part 2: 

            The bright lights and the opportunities of the American cities had an affect not only on Americans, but also on Europeans.  Between the 1850’s and the 1870’s more than 2 million migrants came to America every ten years.  During the 1880’s more than 5 million people came to live in the United States.  Even in 1882 alone, 788,992 migrants arrived in America, which is more than 2,100 people per day.  Immigrants that came before the 1880’s were usually from the British Isles and from western Europe, mainly Germany and Scandinavia.  They were mostly Anglo Saxon and Protestant.  Also many were very intelligent and had a high literacy rate.  They were also used to a representative government.  Many of these immigrants came to America to farm.  Basically these immigrants were easily able to adapt to American life.  The immigration of this time, known as old immigration, was very different from the immigration that occurred from the 1880’s and later. 

            People who immigrated during the 1880’s and in later time periods were known as old immigrants.  These new immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe.  They were Poles, Greeks, Slovaks, Croats, and Italians.  Also they worshipped in synagogues or in orthodox churches.  “They came from countries with little history of democratic government, where people had grown accustomed to cringing before despotism and where opportunities for advancement were few (569).  The new immigrants were also illiterate and poor.  Instead of coming to America to work on a farm, many of the new immigrants came to acquire industrial jobs in the cities.  These people also grouped together and created “Little Italys” and “Little Polands” in which they live in.  These areas were like little cities within a much larger city such as New York.

At first the federal and state governments would not help out the immigrants.  However after an amount of time, the nation began to notice the problems that were occurring with the huge numbers of immigrants.  People then began to help out the new immigrants.  They tried to teach them the Christian religion.  Other American also set up settlement houses, the most famous was called the Hull House.  Jane Addams, one of the first generation of college-educated women, created this.  She bought a house in Chicago and turned it into Hull House.  Here immigrants could be taught English, could be helped through adaptation process, could use the childcare services, and could participate in a cultural activity. 

            Many Americans still believed in “anti-foreignism” or “nativism.”  The people who believed this were worried that the new immigrants, who had many children and quickly multiplied, would soon outnumber the Anglo-Saxon race.  Soon restrictions were being placed on immigration.  Also laborers were against the new immigrants; “labor leaders argued, not illogically, that if American industry was entitled to protection from foreign goods, American workers were entitled to protection from foreign laborers” (567). 

            The New immigrants were basically different from the old immigrants because of where they came from.  This difference in birthplaces then caused differences in religion and in language.  Some Americans were welcoming toward the new immigrants, however many went strongly against them.        

Part 1: What opportunities did the cities create for America?           
The cities created job opportunities and a market for consumer products.

Part 2: How did the "old" immigration differ from the new one? How did America respond to this?
            The “old” immigration differed from the new one because it was welcomed. America didn’t have a large population and needed people to fill up the vast new territory. America didn’t like the new immigration because there was already a population problem. The “old” immigration also came from a different part of Europe, from the West, whereas the new immigration came from southern and eastern Europe. Southern and Eastern Europeans seemed strange and uncultured to settled Americans.

The cities created many opportunities for the average American.  In 1865, there were only about 35,000 miles of railroad tracks throughout the entire United States. However, by 1900, railroads were being built at a very high speed.  The mileage had increased to 192,556 miles; a distance that was spread throughout much of America. The expansion of such railroads was without profit, because there were not a lot of people who had moved to western parts of the US. Thus, Congress gave funds to two preferred railroad companies in 1862, as well as large landholdings. The land given by the Government to the railroad companies, amounted to a mass much larger than the state of Texas. The railroad process was very lucrative for the companies, and the government as well. It also encouraged westward expansion, and heightened the amount of tourism and immigration in the United States.

          The 1850’s were filled with a lot of controversy about the planned Transcontinental Railroad between the Union and the Confederate states. When the Union withdrew on its stand, and when it decided to partake in the railroad, Congress made some provisions for the building processes. Congress called this railroad the Union Pacific Railroad. In addition, for each mile of track that the workers laid, they were given 20 more square miles for their work.   They were also to receive a hefty government loan. Each mile in a prairie=$16,000 for the rail company. Each mile in a mountainous region = $48,0000 for the rail company. Once again, graft and thievery were practiced among the railroad men quite frequently. Many people bribed some congressmen to look the other way when they had stolen millions from the government. (Even if they had not stolen, they still would have been very wealthy.)

Part 2: How did the "old" immigration differ from the new one? How did America respond to this?

          Even though the North had been enjoying the immense productivity, due to industrializing, the south did not see nearly much industrialization. Even in 1900, the South exported much less manufactured goods than it had before the Civil War. The South’s agriculture enjoyed a little bit of a push when machine-rolled cigarettes were created. This caused the tobacco crop’s value to increase greatly. James Buchanan Duke, a huge tobacco mogul, beat out his competitors and formed the American Tobacco Company. Industrialists attempted to industrialize the south with these machines, but didn't have much success. The south remained a very rural area. One of the advocates for making the south more industrial was Henry W. Grady, and editor from Atlanta, Georgia. He was constantly coaxing the south to beat the North in its own industry. The south did have many obstacles, however, that prevented it from achieving full industrialization of the area. They included: the rating system of foods. The North wanted the South to be like a 3rd world country, so it discriminated against the south economically, and it also made it hard for them to afford such an elaborate change. The South, was, however, dominating with the cotton textiles opposed to the north. Mills were established in the South in the 1880’s, and textile business had become the Southern way of life. Cheap labor was the South’s major appeal to investors and others. Virtually all white southerners came to work in the mills. They would work all day, and receive much less of a compensation than they should have been given. This job, however, to them was a real freedom, and a steady job they knew they would keep.