1. Immigration: Push and Pull Factors

2. New Immigrants
New Immigrants= Southern and Eastern Europeans during 1870s until WWI.
Came from Ireland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary and Russia.
Often unskilled, poor, Catholic or Jewish, and planning to save some money to take back home.
Old Immigrants- Northern and Western Europeans in early 1800s until 1870s
After 1900, New Immigrants made up 70% of all immigrants.
American natives felt threatened by the new immigrants

4. Immigrants from Europe
Old New New New

7. Old v. New Protestant Catholic and Jewish
RELIGION
BIRTHPLACE
REASONS
DESTINATION
OCCUPATION
Protestant Catholic and Jewish
North/Western Southern/Eastern Europe
Both escaping poverty, religious and political persecution
Moved to farms (Midwest) Moved to cities (Northeast)
Became farmers Unskilled workers

8. Push Factors Drought or famine Political revolutions or wars
Push Factors= Things that force/“push” people out of a place or land.
Drought or famine
Political revolutions or wars
Religious persecution
Economic struggles

9. Push Factors
1880s- Farmers had a difficult time in Mexico, Poland, and China.
1840s- many wars and political revolutions in China and Eastern Europe which caused economic troubles.
Russian and Eastern European Jews faced religious persecution and fled to the U.S. for safety.

10. Pull Factors Plentiful Land Employment Religious Freedom
Pull Factors= Things that attract people to a place or land.
Plentiful Land
Employment
Religious Freedom
Political Freedom
New Life

11. Pull Factors
1862 Homestead Act and aid from railroad companies made western farmland inexpensive.
Workers were recruited from homelands to build railroads, dig mines, or work in factories.
Many wanted to find gold.
Chain immigrants= come to be with family or friends who had gone before to start new lives.

12. Journey to America
Many immigrants could barely afford a ticket to come to the U.S.
They could only pack what they could carry. (Clothes, photograph, tools for their trade)
Many would wait in line for hours to try to get on a ship and in many cases it was very dangerous to do this.

13. Journey to America
Steerage= Where most immigrants traveled on the ship.
Steerage was located on the lowest decks of the ship with no private cabins, and was dirty and crowded.
Seasickness was an issue in rough weather and illnesses spread quickly in the lower decks.

14. “Steerage” travel for refugees today