Chapter 14

Vocabulary “Push” factor- a reason or force that causes people to leave their native land

“Pull” factor A reason or force that causes people to choose to move to a new place

Know-Nothing Party Political party in the United States during the 1850s that was against recent immigrants and Roman Catholics

Emigrant Person who leaves a country

Immigrant Person who settles in a new country

Steerage The cheapest deck on a ship

Severe food shortage leading to starvation Famine Severe food shortage leading to starvation

Prejudice A negative opinion that is not based on facts

Nativist Native-born American who wanted to eliminate foreign influence

One American’s Story 1) Gjert Hovland and his family left Norway for America 2) Gjert wrote home telling people they will find employment and plenty of room in America

Why People Migrated 1) Most immigrants endured hardships to come to America. 2) Many immigrants came from Britain, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, and China. 3) Push Factors include Population growth, agricultural changes, crop failures, industrial revolution, and religious and political turmoil. 4) Pull Factors are Freedom, economic opportunity, and abundant land.

Scandinavians Seek Land 1) Public land in America was sold for $1.25 an acre, which lured thousands of Scandinavians 2) The Swedish government tried to halt emigration with restricting laws, but they did not last. 3) Scandinavians chose regions that felt familiar like Minnesota and Wisconsin

Germans Pursue Economic Opportunity 1) Germans moved to the Midwest because of climate similar to their native land 2) Germans also settled in Texas because German nobles bought land and sold it to German immigrants 3) German immigrants worked as bakers, butchers, carpenters, printers, shoemakers, and tailors 4) The Germans were the largest immigrant group of the 1800s and strongly influenced American culture

The Irish Flee Hunger 1) Because of the poverty and lack of rights by Britain’s rule, some Irish came to America in the early 1800s. 2) Then, a disease attacked Ireland’s main food crop, the potato, causing severe food shortage called a famine 3) Irish farmers became city-dwellers in America arriving with little or no savings 4) The uneducated Irish immigrants arrived with few skills and had to take low-paying, back-breaking jobs.

U.S. Cities Face Overcrowding 1) New York's population jumped from 60,000-202,000. Some cities were doubling population every 7-9 years 2) Rapid growth brought problems, not enough housing, greedy landlords, and cramped living conditions 3) Cities were unprepared to tackle these problems, before 1845 New York City had no public police force.

Some Americans Oppose Immigration 1) Some native-born Americans feared that immigrants were too foreign to learn American ways 2) Immigrants faced anger and prejudice 3) Native-born Americans who wanted to eliminate foreign influence called themselves nativists 4) They started a party called the Know-Nothing Party that wanted to ban Catholics and foreigners from holding office.

Abolition The movement to stop slavery

Frederick Douglass Abolitionist and journalist who became an influential lecturer in the North and abroad

Sojourner Truth Abolitionist and feminist who spoke against slavery and for the rights of women

Underground Railroad A series of escape routes used by slaves escaping the South

Harriet Tubman Conductor on the Underground Railroad who led enslaved people to freedom

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Reformer who helped organize the first women’s rights convention

Seneca Falls Convention The first women’s rights convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York

Suffrage The right to vote

One American’s Story 1) Many individuals in the mid-1800s demanded equal rights for African Americans and women

Abolitionists Call for Ending Slavery 1) By 1804 Northern states had outlawed slavery 2) Many news articles were being printed about ending slavery 3) Two famous abolitionists were Southern women Sarah and Angelina Grimke, women were not supposed to lecture in public but they did anyway 4) John Quincy Adams was in favor of fighting slavery

Eye Witnesses to Slavery 1) Two moving abolitionist speakers, Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, spoke from their own experiences 2) People didn’t believe Douglass used to be enslaved because he spoke so well, he wrote a book about his experiences as a slave 3) Sojourner Truth was also a slave and a good speaker, she fled her owners and lived with Quakers who set her free

The Underground Railroad 1) Some brave people helped slaves escape to freedom along the Underground Railroad 2) it was actually an aboveground series of escape routes from the South to the North 3) The runaways usually traveled by night and hid by day in places called stations

Harriet Tubman 1) One of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman 2) After escaping, Harriet made 19 dangerous journeys to free other people

Women Reformers Face Barriers 1) Two other well known women abolitionists were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott 2) However, these women face their own problems, they could not enter anti-slavery conventions because they were women 3) Most men agreed that women should stay out of public life, women in the 1800s enjoyed few legal or political rights 4) Stanton and Mott decided to hold a convention to demand equality for women

The Seneca Falls Convention 1) Stanton and Mott held a convention for women’s rights 2) The motto of the convention was “all men and women are created equal” 3) Elizabeth and Frederick Douglass had to fight for suffrage during the convention 4) many people poked fun at women who wanted to vote and be involved in politics

Continued Calls for Women’s Rights 1) Three powerful voices aided the growing women’s movement, Sojourner Truth, Maria Mitchell, and Susan B. Anthony 2) Maria Mitchell founded the Associated for the Advancement of Women 3) Susan B. Anthony built the women’s movement into a national organization