Objective: To discuss how immigrants adjusted to life in America.

Coming to America *In the five decades after the Civil War, roughly , a flood of immigrants came to America. From 1865 to 1900, some 13.5 million immigrants arrived in America.

Immigration Waves in US History —Old Immigrants- largely northern European, especially England, Ireland and Germany—approx. 4.5 million late —New Immigrants- largely Southern and Eastern European, including Polish and Russian Jews, Italian, Greek—approx million Immigration Act of 1924 establishes national quotas for immigration - immigration drops sharply after 1965 immigration act reform - immigrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia outnumber those from Europe

Push and Pull Factors Push Factors: Conditions that drive people to leave their homes Examples: Land scarce in home country Political and/or religious persecution Revolutions Poverty Pull Factors: Conditions that attract people to a new area Examples: Promise of freedom (religious and political) Hope for a new life Industry Jobs Land “Streets paved with gold

Ellis Island From Europe to “The Golden Door”

100 Million Americans Can Trace Ancestry to Ellis Island 12 Million pass through from 1892 – 1954 Peak years from 1892 – ,747 processed on one day 1907 Quotas begin to restrict immigrants 1924 Used as detention center for enemy aliens 1943 Closes doors 1954

Onboard Ship

Welcome to America!

The Inspection Line

The Exams Medical Inspectors watched the people & marked them with chalk The exam was frightening & embarrassing Many varied ailments could send you home 2% were sent home

Adjusting to a New Land · Most immigrants stayed in the cities where they landed. · By 1900, lower Manhattan was the most crowded place in the world. Hester Street, ca. 1900

Essex Street, Lower East Side, ca. 1900

· Immigrants adjusted by settling in communities with people of their own ethnic group. Little Italy, New York City A Jewish vendor in Lower East Side, New York City

· Assimilation was a long, slow process. Assimilation - The process whereby a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture.

Nativist Resistance Too Many Undesirables A growing Nativist movement grips the nation

· Chinese immigrants were frequently attacked, and occasionally killed, by racist mobs. Anti-Immigrant Feelings · Many Americans feared that new immigrants would never assimilate. · Asians were prohibited from buying land in California. Seattle's anti-Chinese riot of February 8, 1886

- It was renewed several times by Congress before being repealed in 1943 by the Supreme Court. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) - It barred the immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years.

Limiting Immigration Quota system instituted in 1922 Limits immigrants to a percentage of ethnic group already in the U.S. Favors “desirable” immigrants over others