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Task 1
The Lives of Immigrants East of the Mississippi River
In this task, you'll compare the lives of the immigrants who settled east of the Mississippi River with the immigrants who
settled in the Midwest or on the West Coast. You'll read four primary sources to understand how the immigrants' lives were
similar and different. Then, you'll use the evidence you've gathered to compare and contrast the immigrants' experiences.
As you read the first excerpt, use the highlighting tool () to highlight text that describes what it would be like to live in a
tenement house. The first excerpt is about the immigrants who settled in the east. It is from the 1884 Report of Tenement
House Commission in New York City, describing living conditions that were witnessed and actions recommended to improve
housing and sanitation.
1st.-Privy Vaults. An Act to abolish all privy vaults within the city limits on or before January 1st, 1887, upon all property
contiguous to such streets or avenues where sewers are laid. The Sanitary Inspectors of the Health Department generally agree that
privy vaults are in themselves a menace to the public health; that they are dangerous when even twenty feet distant from windows,
and they seldom, if ever, can be placed that distance from the windows of a tenement dwelling; that they are always liable to leak into
cellars and areas, create offensive odors, and that they tend to spread zymotic diseases. Ground saturation from this source
produces miasmatic poisoning. The inspectors generally agree that all privy vaults should be abolished when the street is sewered.
School sinks are better than vaults, but water-closets are better than either. Nearly all of the inspectors know where water-closets
have been introduced in tenement houses, and they believe that properly located and supervised water-closets are practicable even in
the worst houses.
3d.-Water Supply. That there shall be adequate water supply for domestic purposes on each story that is inhabited or intended to
be occupied by any family, either by the Croton pressure or by tariks in the upper part of the building. The reasons for this are
obvious. We may add that nearly all of the inspectors agree that the sanitary condition of houses freely supplied with water on each
floor is better than that of houses not so supplied.
*This next excerpt is from The Hull House Maps and Papers, a book with a series of essays and statistics that describes how
immigrants settled in Chicago. It illustrates where different immigrants lived in a small section of Chicago. As you read, use the
highlighting tool (9) to highlight text that describes what life would be like living in this neighborhood.
4 Eighteen nations are thus represented in this small section of Chicago. They are more or less intermingled, but a decided tendency
to drift into little colonies is apparent. The Italians are almost solidly packed into the front and rear tenements on Ewing and Polk
ELD

Answer 1

This excerpt describes the deplorable living conditions in tenement houses in New York City.

What does the excerpt aim to show of Tenement housing in New York ?

The authors highlight the prevalence of privy vaults, which were a major source of pollution and disease. They also advocate for the installation of water closets and adequate water supply on each floor of tenement buildings.

Key points about tenement house living:

• Privy vaults: These cesspools were a breeding ground for disease and posed a serious health risk to residents.
• Sanitation issues: The lack of proper sanitation facilities led to the spread of diseases and created unsanitary living conditions.

The second excerpt describes the diverse immigrant communities in Chicago. It highlights the tendency of different immigrant groups to form enclaves or "little colonies" within the city.

Both excerpts provide insights into the lives of immigrants in urban areas. While the first excerpt focuses on the physical conditions of tenement housing, the second excerpt highlights the social and cultural aspects of immigrant communities.