New York City in the
1800s may have seemed to be the place to start anew for many immigrants from
varying countries but little did they know their life might become even more
difficult than the one they had just fled. As to accommodate the influx of immigrant’s
during the 1800s, tenement buildings were hurriedly and inexpensively built in
the Lower East Side. These inexpensive buildings only offering moderate space
for an entire family lacked in lighting, indoor plumbing, and proper ventilation
but even with these problems some 2.3 million people in New York City were
living in these horrid conditions. To even further these unfortunate peoples struggles
their “homes” in the Lower East Side fell into disrepair as many landlords
lacked interest in maintenance or improvements. Therefore, by the mid-1800s,
the already overcrowded tenements became unsafe and unhealthy homes of filth.
By
the mid-1800s the tenements had become worn and so did their occupants. The
unhealthy conditions of these homes caused multiple problems. One being a
cholera epidemic that swept the city claiming some five thousand lives, many of
them were those living in the these tragic conditions. This epidemic followed
by the infamous “draft riots” that tore apart the city in 1863, where the
cities people fought the intolerable conditions in which many of them were
living in. The outcome being the Tenement House Act of 1867 which legally
defined a tenement for the first time and set construction regulations no
longer allowing corner cutting during construction. This act allowed for those
in these horrid conditions a chance in living the life that they hoped to live in
New York City initially.
It's good to remember that even though we've still got poverty issues, we have come a long way.
ReplyDeleteGood post Elizabeth.
Its crazy to think that this was happening so close to us in New York City not too long ago. In the scheme of things, 100 years is not a large amount of time. Of course, I believe its important to note that these immigrants had such a large impact on the city that lasts to this day -- places like Little Italy and Chinatown are prime examples of this. These sections of NYC are made up of one specific race which they make to feel like their home country. That's how these isolated areas came about -- when people immigrated to America, they felt so out of place. Seeking out people from their own country helped them feel not so alone anymore. This resulted in parts of the city made up of one race of people united under the same language, religion, and home country. New York City truly is the definition of a melting pot!
ReplyDeleteIn response to the horrors of tenement houses, some people built cleaner houses for new immigrants to live in through out cities in America. Like you explained, tenements led to the spread of deadly diseases. These new houses were created by Americans who wanted to help the immigrants. An example of this is the Hull House in Chicago. The owner observed the horrors of the immigrants' lives. Most were uneducated and relied on their children to support the family because they knew the language better. This pressured the children and led to them growing up too fast. One 13 year old girl even killed herself because she didn't know how she was going to repay $3 she had borrowed. The 1800s really were a difficult time to live in.