The Transformation of American Society CH 7 Section 1
The Lure of America From 1800 to 1880 more than 10 million immigrants came to the US (old immigrants) The new immigrants came between 1891 and 1910, 12 million immigrants 60% of the people living in the 12 largest cities were foreign or had foreign parents 70% were from southern or Eastern Europe
Some of the countries represented Czech Greek Hungarian Italian Polish Russian Slovack Arabs Armenians Chinese French Canadians Japanese
They came to escape poverty or persecution They also came seeking economic opportunity Some were tricked by the railroads offering jobs and land Steamships offered low fares to get more people to come over {Steerage The poorest accommodations located on the lower levels below deck is how most traveled}
Ellis Island
{Ellis Island This is the first soil that immigrants coming into New York set foot on} It opened in 1892 To get to it the immigrants passed the Statue of Liberty All those with serious mental problems or disease were deported All those with criminal backgrounds or no way to support themselves were sent back
A New Life Most immigrants were forced into low paying jobs in the poorest neighborhoods and slums They would settle into immigrant communities where most spoke the same language They were encouraged to join the American mainstream which was often done by their children
Inner city Slum
The Nativist Response They saw the immigrants as a threat They saw them as too different to fit in They were blamed for crime, poverty and violence They thought they stole the money from native born Americans because the worked for so cheap
Chinese Exclusion {The new Workingmen’s party of California headed by Denis Kearney They encouraged Anti-Chinese sentiments} This led to mobs attacking Chinese killing some and burning the property of others Most Chinese came in thorough California Why?
Angel Island
The Chinese Exclusion Act Passed by congress in 1882 in California It denied citizenship to those born in China It prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers Neither the Chinese Exclusion Act or the violence kept out Chinese immigrants
Immigration Restriction League {Sought to impose a literacy test on all immigrants} A measure was passed by congress but vetoed by President Cleveland Despite the Nativist arguments the immigration had a positive effect Rapid industrialization would have been impossible without them
Review What is Steerage? The Workingmen's party were anti who? What did the Immigration Restriction League want? What was the first land that most New York immigrants stepped on?
The End