EUROPEAN IMMIGRATION
Old Immigrants Time Period Nationalities, numbers Northern and Western Europe Ireland, Germany, Sweden Mostly Protestant Christians 10 million immigrants total Reasons for Leaving Economic Opportunity Irish Potato Famine Farmland in America Political and Religious Freedom German Revolution of 1848
New Immigrants Time Period Nationalities, numbers Eastern European: Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian Roman Catholic and Jewish 18 million Reasons for Leaving Economic, Religious, Political
Coming to America The Land of Opportunity Immigrants left everything behind for new lives in America Crowded, dirty steamships for months Ellis Island, 1892 Medical Examination Identification Papers Drastic Changes in American Population 1910: 1 in 12 Americans were born in a foreign country
Life in America Urbanization 80% of immigrants settled in cities New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago Many connected with relatives and friends, creating immigrant neighborhoods Conditions in Cities Overcrowding, Tenements, Poverty Poor Working Conditions in factories and shipyards Increase in gangs
Life in America Nativism Americans’ negative response to mass numbers of immigrants Threat to society Increase in crime and violence Discrimination Coming to America