Ellis Island: European Immigration, c. 1900 11.2 Students analyze the relationship among the rise of industrialization, large-scale rural-to-urban migration, and massive immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.
Immigration from Europe 1st Wave 1870s-1880s: Western and Northern Europeans (German, English and Irish Immigrants 2nd Wave 1890s-1920s: Southern and Eastern Europeans (Italian, Jewish, and Polish immigrants
Why did Europeans come to the U.S.? Push Factors: (What made them leave Europe?) Population growth Hunger No land Religious persecution Pull Factors: (What made the U.S. look good?) Farmland Jobs Family already there Free democratic society
Ellis Island Immigration Station: New York 1892-1954 Major Immigration Entry Point
Ellis Island Medical Inspections: Legal Interviews “Six-second exam” Legal Interviews 29 Questions: What is your name? Age? 20% failed one of these Hospital Further interviews 2% Deported
Beyond Ellis Island: Many immigrants settle in cities: New York, Chicago, Boston 1870—25% of Americans live in cities 1920—50% of Americans live in cities Immigrants settle near others from their home country Tenements: crowded, dirty Settlement Houses: provide services, such as child care and classes