A Nation of immigrants

Growth of immigration Last half of 19th Century- U.S. population tripled from 23.2 million in 1850 to 76.2 million in 1900 Fueled by the arrival of 16.2 million immigrants 8.8 million more immigrants arrived between 1901-1910

Growth of Immigration Push and pull factors increased migration around the world Negative forces driving Europeans to emigrate: Poverty of displaced farmworkers Political turmoil Overcrowding and joblessness in cities Religious persecution Positive reasons people moved to the U.S: Reputation for political and religious freedom Economic opportunities, abundance of industrial jobs Advent of large steamships and relatively inexpensive one-way trips made it possible for millions of poor people to emigrate

“old” Immigrants 1880s- vast majority of immigrants came from northern and western Europe British Isles, Germany, Scandinavia Mostly Protestant, some Irish or German Catholics Mostly English-speaking, high levels of literacy and occupational skills These immigrants easily blended into a mostly rural American society in the late 19th Century Accepted by most native-born Americans

“New” Immigrants From 1890s up until WWI in 1914- most immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe Italians, Greeks, Slovaks, Poles, Russians Many were poor, illiterate; came from autocratic countries Mostly Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish

“New” Immigrants Most new immigrants crowded into poor ethnic neighborhoods in the cities Approx. 25% of these immigrants were “birds of passage” Young men contracted for unskilled jobs to make money to bring back to their families in their native land Many “new” European immigrants were not as welcomed as their northern and western counterparts

Restricting Immigration At first, there were few legal restrictions on immigration to the U.S. 1886- the same year Statue of Liberty was placed in New York Harbor, Congress passed several new laws restricting immigration First major restriction came in 1882 under the Chinese Exclusion Act

Restricting Immigration Other restrictions in 1882 banned the immigration of “undesirable” persons Criminals, convicts, mentally ill Contract Labor Law of 1885 restricted temporary workers to protect American workers’ jobs 1917- a literacy test is put into place for immigrants When Ellis Island opened up as an immigration center, new arrivals had to pass rigorous medical exams and pay a tax before entering the country

Restricting Immigration Efforts to restrict immigration were supported by diverse groups of Americans: Labor unions- feared employers would use immigrants to lower wages and break up strikes Nativists- openly prejudice against Roman Catholics and immigrants Social Darwinists- viewed new immigrants as biologically inferior During economic hardships, immigrants became a convenient scapegoat for jobless workers as well as for employers who blamed strikes and labor conflicts on foreign ideas/agitators

Restricting Immigration Anti-immigrant feelings and early restrictions did not stop the flow of newcomers Turn of century- 15% of the U.S. population were immigrants Statue of Liberty remained a beacon of hope for the poor and oppressed

? What were the negative “push” factors driving people out of Europe during this time period? What were some of the positive “pull” factors that encouraged people to emigrate to the U.S.? Describe the fundamental differences between “old” and “new” immigrants Give two or three examples of efforts by the government to restrict immigration into the U.S. List the three groups of Americans who opposed immigration, and their reasons why.