Part 2/11:
In these cramped quarters, families lived under precarious conditions, fighting against soaring rents for substandard living spaces. Many tenants faced constant hardships, as the competition for jobs was fierce and pay was often dismally low. Among the immigrant groups was the Bohemian community, primarily originating from the lands that now make up the Czech Republic. Jacob Riis, a Danish American social reformer and photographer, documented their plight during this tumultuous period.