Lesson 2.02 Coming to America

Between the years of 1870 and 1900, nearly 25 million people flocked to the shores of the United States from nations across the globe. Some immigrantsa person who comes to live permanently in another country were lured by opportunity and the hope of a good job, while others came to escape persecution and hardship back home. The journey to America was full of challenges and risk, but through it all, families young and old came with hope of a better tomorrow.

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Learn more about the plight of our nation's immigrants by reviewing the material below, including any external links. As you take a look at the material, complete 2.02 Immigration Notes. Once finished, save the notes. The notes will help you complete the Tasks as well as serve as a study guide for the Unit Test.

Coming to America

As the United States witnessed a wave of new innovations and ideas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it also experienced unprecedented population growth.

Between 1880-1920, a second great wave of immigration hit the United States. Nearly 24 million people immigrated to the U.S. during this period.

Whereas the "old" immigrants typically came from Germany, Ireland, and England in Northern and Western Europe, this "new" group of immigrants originated largely from Southern and Eastern Europe.

The early immigrants from Western Europe were typically literate and Protestant; whereas, those arriving after 1880 from Southern and Eastern Europe were usually illiterate and Catholic.

The "New" Immigrants

The "new" immigrants were typically:

• illiterate
• poor
• spoke little or no English
• young (between the ages of 15 and 30)
• had no experience with democratic governments
• were largely Catholic or Jewish

Immigrants traveled by steamship and usually arrived at a major port city such as Boston, San Francisco, or New York. By far, New York accepted the most immigrants, with nearly 70% of all immigrants traveling through the "Golden Door".

Why America?

Immigrants traveled to the U.S. for a host of reasons during the late 1800s. Some immigrants were lured by the opportunity and the hope of a good job, while others came to escape persecution and hardship back home. The journey to America was full of challenges and risk, but through it all, families young and old, came with hope of a better tomorrow.

Explore the PBS Destination America Interactive to learn more about when and why the immigrants made the journey. Check out the interactive map to reveal motives for immigration.

Shores of Freedom

Upon arrival, immigrants often endured an overwhelming inspection process. Uniformed officers awaited the immigrants at the port gate and then ushered them into facilities where they were questioned about medical and legal matters. Ellis Island was the immigration station on the East Coast and Angel Island was the immigration station on the West Coast.

Learn more about this process by exploring an interactive tour of Ellis Island.

Immigrant Settlement

Most of the "new" immigrants chose to settle in big cities in neighborhoods that resembled their ethnic heritage. These immigrants often worked in factories for low wages.

Other groups moved Westward. The Germans often settled farms in the Midwest, while people from Sweden and Norway tended to move to Minnesota or North/South Dakota. Chinese and Japanese immigrants settled along the West Coast. Very few immigrants moved to the South.

Rise of Nativism

By 1900, nearly 25% of the United States' population was foreign born. This rise of the immigrant population alarmed some Americans. Some were fearful of their "foreign" ways- different language, culture, religious beliefs. Others viewed them as job threats and resented their willingness to work for low wages in factories.

Social Darwinists ("survival of the fittest proponents) thought the poor and non-white immigrants would dilute the gene pool with "less fit" people. Prohibitionists abhorred the social drinking of the immigrants and thought them morally inferior. Nativist groups, which preferred 'native' born Americans, grew in number.

Immigration Restrictions

Many of these Nativist groups proposed legislation and other activities to curb immigration. Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to limit Chinese Immigration in 1882. Read about the details of this legislation by opening the link below: Library of Congress: Chinese Immigration - Exclusion. You can also read the other sections in this resource, including 'Intolerance', 'Legislative Harassment', and 'Building Communities' if you would like to learn more.

Though Italians were not restricted in the same manner as the Chinese, they faced persecution of their own. Read about the plight of Italian immigrants by reading some sections of Library of Congress: Italian Immigration, including 'Working Across the Country' and 'Under Attack'.

In addition to the Chinese, other groups such as the Japanese, anarchists, criminals, and the mentally ill were also prohibited from entering the country. Immigration restrictions on many of these groups continued through World War II!

If you'd like to learn more, check out this timeline of U.S. legislation related to immigration, including acts passed from the 1880s through the early 1900s.