1. C1.1(2) How Did We Get Here? All Americans are immigrants or descendants of immigrants “immigrants” – people who come here from other lands As a result, we have a “multicultural” – the preservation of different cultures within a unified society What immigrants bring to their new country Different languages Ideas Beliefs Customs

2. C1.1(2) Who Were the First People Here? Native Americans Came from Siberia – modern day northeastern Russia between 12,000 and 60,000 years ago

3. C1.1(2) Next: The Vikings (but they did not stay long) Came from Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) Spaniards were the first Europeans to build lasting settlements in the Americas (1500s) Mexico, Central and South America, southwestern U.S., and what is now Florida, California, and Texas

4. C1.1(2) The Original Thirteen Colonies (you will need to know all 13) Settled mostly by people from England

5. C1.1(2)

6. How We Dealt With Immigrants “Open Shore” Policy (until mid-1800s) Unlimited Immigration - all immigrants were welcome (unless a criminal or diseased) Why? Agricultural and factory workers were needed to help the country expand to the Pacific They arrived at Ellis Island in New York City

7. C1.1(2) By the 1880s certain restrictions were placed on immigration Many people feared immigrants from Eastern Europe By 1920s immigration numbers controlled by a “quota” – a limit Today immigration is guided by the Immigration Act of 1990 675,000 allowed each year You will get preference if … You are an immediate relative of someone in the U.S. You have valuable employment skills “refugees” –people fleeing persecution in their own country – are not counted in the annual quota

8. C1.1(2)

9. Americans are slowly moving south and west

10. C1.1(2) Americans are getting older

11. C1.1(2) The American Family Is Changing “nuclear family” (dad/mom/child(ren) under same roof) is shrinking

12. C1.1(2) SUMMARY QUESTIONS 1.What Do You See As Some Positive and Negative Aspects of Immigrants? 2. Should We Limit How Many Immigrants Come Here Each Year? Why or Why Not? 3.Americans Are Getting Older. What Challenges Do You Think That Will Bring To Our Country? 4.What Positives Do You See in the American Family Changing? 5.What Negatives Do You See?