US History - Immigration - Industrial America

Aim: Why did immigrants come to America in the late 1800s-1900s?

Do Now: Take a Quiz. You have 5-7 minutes

Lesson Overview:

Item	Approx Time
Do Now	3-5 Min
Mini Lesson	15-20 Min
Activity	15 Min
Discussion	5-7 Min

Old Immigration

The earliest waves of settlers to the Americas, up through the first half of the 19th century, constitute the era of "old" immigration. There are some distinctions between those settlers who came prior to the Revolutionary War and those who choose to settle in the newly free America, however they share many common traits.

These settlers came to the Americas mostly from western and northern Europe, predominantly from England and English territories during the colonial period.

English, Scotch, Irish - mostly colonial settlers who were English citizens or lived in English territories

Dutch, German, Swedish, Scandinavians - many western and northern European nations contributed to the early growth of the colonies and the newly formed United States

Africans - many early immigrants came to the Americas as slaves, to work the plantations of the agricultural south, this continued until the ending of the slave trade in the early 19th century

Immigrants came to America during these eras for a wide variety of reasons, political social and economic. While not all immigrants' reasoning fit neatly into one type, the general listing below is a good overview of the motivations for many.

Political Reasons - Many of the governments of Europe were dominated by nobility and landed elite, the common man found that he had little to no say in the government of his homeland. As a result many came seeking a political voice or freedom from an oppressive government. Others such as the Germans and French in the early 1800's were seeking to escape political unrest and violent political turmoil at home.

Social Reasons - Religious freedom is the greatest example of social motivation in immigration. The pilgrims, the Quakers and many other groups came to the Americas seeking freedom from religious intolerance in their homelands. This tradition of religious freedom had become a fundamental principle in American government.

Economic Reasons - Seemingly the greatest motivating factor for most immigrants. Vast numbers of the earliest American Settlers came to America seeking land, as much of the land in Europe was controlled by nobles or the church, leaving little opportunity for the common farmer to achieve success. The vastness of the Americas and easy access to land, drew many of these opportunity seekers. The Irish immigrants of the early 1800's sought land and escape from the deadly potato famine that gripped their homeland. African slaves were brought over for economic reasons, ones that did not serve them, but instead served the economic interests of the slave owner.

The earliest roots of Nativism or anti-immigrant feelings in American society surfaced during this era. While not as severe as during the wave of "new immigration" this nativist thinking can be seen in the anti-immigrant platform of the Know Nothing Party of the mid 19th century.

The contributions of early immigrants cannot be overstated. The very foundation of America is built upon the ideas, skills and culture they brought with them. The English settlers formed the governments, language and major cultural traditions that would become America. Many Irish workers constructed transportation routes (railroads, etc...) and the Germans and others brought farming techniques and education traditions.

New Immigration

The "new immigrants" came during the period of intense industrial development known as the gilded age as well as the reaction to this growth during the progressive era. This period immediately following the Civil War and extending up until the 1920's.

These immigrants came to America from areas that had not traditionally supplied settlers to the US. The lands of southern Europe and eastern Europe such as Italy, Russia, Poland and Greece, as well as Asian locales such as China and Japan.

Immigrants came to America during these eras mostly for economic opportunities. As the United States saw unprecedented industrial growth following the Civil War an unprecedented demand for labor, mostly cheap and unskilled, also grew. The vast majority of these "new immigrants" came here seeking work and the dream of going from "rags to riches".

Political Reasons - Some New Immigrants such as Russian and Ukrainian Jews came seeking refuge from religious oppression by governments at home.

Social Reasons - One idea that gave motivation to many immigrants leaving their homelands for America was the social mobility offered by the "rags to riches" American dream. This popular idea viewed America as the land of opportunity where anyone willing to work hard, save money and be smart could become rich. These notions were reinforced by the rags to riches stories of Horatio Alger jr., many of which feature industrious immigrants becoming successful by hard work and perseverance.

Economic Reasons - By far the greatest reason for new immigration was for employment. The southern and eastern European nations most new immigrants fled were in dire economic times with high unemployment and limited opportunity. The stunning growth in US industrial development fueled a seemingly endless demand for workers, which the desperate immigrants willingly fulfilled. The reality of the immigrants life was far from the roads paved with gold many envisioned. Industrial jobs paid low wages, demanded long hours and offered no benefits or security. The tenement housing most immigrants could afford in the near-bursting American cities proved crowded, expensive, dangerous and unsanitary. This experience is best chronicled by photographer and reporter Jabob Riis in his expose of New York City "How the Other Half Lives".

Many newly arrived immigrants found themselves at the mercy of corrupt political forces like those running Boss Tweed's Tammany Hall in New York City. Political Machines such as these used the votes of newly arrived immigrants to dominate and corrupt the political process in many of Americas growing cities.

Language, customs, religions and traditions clashed with those prevailing in the US at the time, based on the culture brought my the older immigrants. This social conflict led to discrimination against such groups and the Irish on the east coast and the Chinese/Asians on the western coast. This also aided in the neighborhood distinctions (i.e. Chinatown, Little Italy, etc..) that developed in large cities, as immigrant groups clustered together and continued to speak, worship and practice the traditional ways of their homelands.

Labor unions feared and opposed the influx of new immigrants, with whom they feared a competition for jobs and a lowering of wages as new arrivals proved willing to work for lesser pay.

Restrictive laws also became a barrier to immigration, as the Chinese were excluded from immigrating and quotas and limits began to further restrict arrivals.

The contributions of the new immigrants were transformative to America. The ethnic diversity of the immigrants changed America into a more multi-cultural society with varied language, traditions and practices. The cultural contributions of the new immigrants can be seen in the art, food, music and culture of modern America.

Urbanization

Urbanization occurs when the population shifts from rural to urban areas. With the advent of innovative agricultural technologies and industrialization, Americans began to migrate to cities in droves during the 1800s. By 1920, over 50% of Americans lived in cities.

This movement had many negative consequences for the people living in cities:

Soon, many of these problem began to be addressed, and cities soon demonstrated positive characteristics.

Classwork & Homework

Lesson PowerPoint: Immigration 1870-1920s

Lesson Activity: Write two paragraphs (7-8 sentences each) by answering the following questions.

Explain how Immigration has changed over time from old to new immigration.
How is immigration viewed today by the American public?
What are some of the complaints about it today? Are they the same complaints as before?
Do people assimilate or become more American today with each generation or right away?
What do immigrants have to offer American society?
Does each different ethnic group face challenges? Describe some today.

Homework: Complete Classwork Assignment