1. Chapter 18
Section 4

2. Why were people coming to America?
Push
Not enough farm land in Europe for everyone and machines were replacing people
Religious freedom
Political issues or unrest
Pull
More than anything people came to get jobs
Promise of freedom
Click here to see and hear actual accounts of immigrants!

3. US Immigration
Early 1800’s mostly Protestant and from northern and western Europe
“New Immigrants” in late 1800’s from southern and eastern Europe

4. Ellis Island and Angel Island
It didn’t matter where you came from, Asia or Europe, the trip here was generally not fun and the wait was awful! Then everyone had to pass inspection before they were allowed to enter this country.

5. Fitting in As immigrants poured into our country it was not easy
Most preferred to live in a neighborhood with people of the same culture in order to feel more comfortable
Fought hard to assimilate
Children picked up the ways of the new world much quicker and often taught their parents
It was difficult to try not to lose your own heritage while trying to fit in

6. Working in the new world
Willing to work any job
Many immigrants advanced economically because of their hard work
Many immigrants even became famous for their work in the new world, like Andrew Carnegie and Alexander Graham Bell
Unfortunately they all faced Nativists who were always putting down non-American born citizens
Nativists claimed they were not American enough, would never fit in, and would take jobs away for Americans
Nativists also associated immigrants with crime, violence and anarchy
Led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
Later laws (1917) excluded people who could not read their own languages, excluding the poor