1. The Immigrant Experience American Immigration 1865-1920

2. Coming to America
In the five+ decades following the Civil War, ( ), a flood of immigrants came to America
US population in 1860 was 31.5 million people
Between 1865 and 1920, close to 30 million additional people entered the country

3. Waves of Immigration
The United States experienced four major waves of immigration
1st Wave
Began in 1600’s with first colonists.
Majority of immigrants from England
2nd Wave
1820’s-1870’s
Mostly from Northern and Western Europe
- 1/3 Irish, 1/3 German
3rd Wave
Approx million immigrants
Mostly from Eastern and Southern Europe
4th Wave
Begins in 1965
Built upon new Immigration law reform

4. Why Did They Come?
Push Factors: Conditions that help push a person out of a location
Wars
Famine
Religious Persecution
Overpopulation
Pull Factors: Conditions that help draw a person to a location
Jobs
Freedoms

5. Most immigrants to America were poor
How Did They Get Here?
Most immigrants to America were poor
Passage often cost a life’s savings
Families would save enough money to send one or two family members to America
Hoped those family members could earn enough to bring over the rest of the family
From Europe:
One Week Journey
From Asia:
Three Week Journey

6. How Did They Get Here? The steerage deck was usually overcrowded
Below deck was crowded, dark, and damp
Lack of air
Low food rations
Contagious disease
“During the twelve days in the steerage I lived… in surroundings that offended every sense. Only a fresh breeze from the sea overcame the sickening odors. Everything was dirty, sticky, and disagreeable to the touch”

7. By 1910, six million immigrants had come through Ellis Island
In 1890, Congress designated a three acre island in New York Bay as an immigration station
By 1910, six million immigrants had come through Ellis Island

8. Immigrants faced a medical inspection
Ellis Island
Immigrants faced a medical inspection
If one had a communicable disease, they could be immediately deported back to their home country.
Might also be placed into quarantine for an indefinite period of time

9. Ellis Island
Due to large numbers, inspectors had 2 minutes to complete the process
Many immigrants had their names changes by the inspectors because they didn’t have the time or patience to struggle with foreign spellings

10. Ethnic Cities
The majority of immigrants settled in big cities where factory jobs were available
Many immigrants lived in areas with people of similar ethnic backgrounds
Neighborhoods provided support but slowed assimilation into US culture

11. “Melting Pot” “Salad Bowl:
A mixture of people of different cultures and races who blended together by abandoning their native languages and customs
A mixture of people of different cultures and races who form a new community while retaining some pieces of their native cultures
“Salad Bowl:

12. Asian Immigrants to America
During the mid-1800’s, Chinese and Japanese immigrants began to arrive on the West Coast of the US
Processed at “Angel Island”
Located in California
Very slow process, sometimes taking months to clear immigration hearings

13. The Rise of Large Cities
Growth of Industrial Cities
Urbanization: city building
and the movement of
people to cities
- Populations in cities
doubled or tripled in size
Cities such as New York City, Philadelphia and Boston grew into industrial hubs

14. The Rise of Large Cities
Living Conditions
No plans
No building codes
No sanitary codes

15. The Rise of Large Cities
Living Conditions
Lacked adequate amount of
housing.
Little opportunity for
education
Very little police protection
Most of the unpaved streets
had no drains, and collected
heaps of garbage
Workers lived in dark, dirty
shelter, with whole families
crowding into one room
Sickness was widespread
Workers in the city had
average life span of 17,
rural areas 38

16. Mulberry Street Bend, 1889

17. 5-Cent Lodgings

18. Men’s Lodgings

19. Women’s Lodgings

20. Immigrant Family Lodgings

21. Dumbbell Tenement Plan

22. Reform
Social Gospel Movement—preached salvation through service of the poor
Settlement houses– community centers in poor neighborhoods that provided assistance; especially immigrants.
Hull House– one of the most famous settlement houses founded by Jane Addams and located in Chicago.

23. Construction Brooklyn Bridge—took 14 years to build
Skyscrapers—invention of elevators and development of internal steel skeleton them to be built.
Louis Sullivan designed the 10-story Wainwright Building in St. Louis
Daniel Burnham designed the Flatiron building in 1902
Frederick Law Olmsted started planned urban parks—Central Park in New York!

24. Louis Sullivan: Bayard Bldg., NYC, 1897

25. Louis Sullivan: Carson, Pirie, Scott Dept. Store, Chicago, 1899

26. D. H. Burnham
1846 – 1912
Use of steel as a super structure.

27. DH Burnham: Flatiron Building, 1902, 2004

28. Anti-immigration societies grow
Nativism
Increased waves of immigration led to increased feelings of nativism
An extreme dislike for immigrants by native-born people and a desire to limit immigration
WASPS (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestants)
Disliked unfamiliar customs and languages
Viewed immigrants as a threat to American way of life
Anti-immigration societies grow
American Protective Association: Despised Catholics and foreigners
Workingman’s Party of California: Goal was to fight Chinese immigration

29. Why Such Hatred? “Old Immigration” Time Period—1820-1880
Nationalities– (Northern & Western Europe) British Isles (Great Britain and Ireland), Germany, & Scandinavia
Characteristics—mainly Protestant, English speaking, high literacy level, and high level of occupational skills

30. Why Such Hatred? “New Immigration” Time Period—1881-1920
Nationalities—Southern & Eastern Europe. They were Italians, Greeks, Croat, Slovaks, Poles, and Russian
Characteristic—poor, illiterate peasants, not accustomed to democracy, largely Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Jewish

31. Impact of Anti-Immigrant Movement
banned convicts, paupers, and the mentally disabled from immigrating
- .50 tax on each newcomer
Prejudice against immigrants stimulated new federal laws
Chinese Exclusion Act- barred Chinese immigrants for 10 years
- Chinese already in country denied citizenship

32. Impact of Anti Immigrant Movement
Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907-
Informal agreement between the USA and Empire of Japan in which the USA would not impose restrictions on Japanese immigration, and Japan would not allow further emigration to the US
Tried to ease tensions
Discrimination of Japanese in California had to be stopped