opportunities in american cities (1865-1900)?

Question

im writing an essay on opportunities in american cities and their extent to reach incoming immigrants.


any ideas on political issues and implications around this period? i already have info on the social and economic aspects of this time period. thank you

Answer 1

Research the Gilded Age of Politics. The time period you listed is the same time period that political machines developed in American cities, i.e. Cincinnati's Taft family or Boston's Fitzgerald family ( known today as the Kennedys). Graft, voter fraud, corruption, murderer, etc., were part of everyday life in our major cities. Immigrants were bribed with jobs, housing, education, etc, in exchange for votes. An example, much of New York city became under the control of the Irish as a result of Boss Tweed and his unethical political maneuvers.

Research Gilded Age, you'll find everything your looking for. An interesting phrase from this era is : " vote early and often". Many politicians would give alcohol or cash in exchange for votes. Oftentimes, dead people would vote.

Answer 2

Big business wanted to hire immigrants to work for them after the unions started asking for higher salaries. The immigrants would work for next to nothing so the unions would make it hard for them by making examples of some of them by beating them up or such as that to scare them into not working.