1. The Closing Door Lesson starter: Countries should be able to choose the countries they allow immigrants from. Do you agree with the above statement? Provide reasons for your answer.

2. Today we will… Understand why America closed their open door Identify the groups WASPs were keen to exclude from the USA

3. America had been proud of its ‘open door’ policy which welcomed everyone into the country People started to change their minds about immigrants for several reasons

4. WASPS WASPs were the nickname given to earlier white immigrants who had come to America hundreds of years ago. Sometimes known as the ‘founding fathers ’most Americans would prefer only this type of immigrant to live in the USA. WASP = WHITE, ANGLO-SAXON, PROTESTANT

5. Who are Wasps?

6. Chinese Immigration… Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 restricted Chinese immigration 1902 Chinese Immigration made illegal Japanese immigration also restricted

7. Views of WASPs ‘Good’ immigrants‘Bad’ immigrants Germany Britain Ireland France/ Scandinavia Eastern Europe – Poland, Russia, Czechoslovakia Southern Europe – Italy, Greece, Turkey Chinese/Japanese

8. An investigation called the Dillingham Commission was run in 1907 It decided literacy tests would weed out ‘undesirable’ immigrants Some managed to get in regardless of the test

9. Why did Americans dislike certain immigrants? Americans feared Communism – in 1917 Russia had become Communist ‘The Red Scare’ Many immigrants went on strike over pay & conditions – business owners unhappy Americans feared immigrants were taking all the jobs and houses – huge unemployment in 1930s Racism – many Americans felt immigrants were poorer, illiterate and looked different

10. Issue: We should cut immigration to the UK. AgreeDisagree Try and think up all the points you can to support/ dismiss this argument. Many of the points you come up with will be similar to the thoughts of many Americans during the twentieth century.

11. Sacco and Vanzetti Radical Italian immigrants Accused of double murder in Massachusetts Both had alibis (inc a work time card) Many defence witnesses spoke in broken English and were manipulated by the prosecution Hat apparently belonging to Sacco found at the scene did not fit him Executed 1927 – many believed it was due to their nationality and politics rather than hard evidence I am suffering because I am a radical. Indeed I am. I have suffered because I am Italian. Indeed, I am. Bartolomeo Vanzetti

12. Finally… By the 1920s a quota system was introduced This meant only a certain amount of immigrants from each country could enter America