Immigration Late 1800’s

Learning Targets

• • • • • ● • • Know where immigrants coming into the US were coming from.

Know what determined how well immigrants adjusted to American culture.

Know what led to an increase in Chinese immigrants.

Know where Asian immigrants entered the US.

Know what Nativism is and its effects.

Know why labor unions opposed immigration.

Know the purpose of the Workingman’s

Party of California

Be able to describe why Europeans immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1800s.

European Immigration

• • • In 1890’s over half of all immigrants were from eastern and southern Europe 1860-1900: 14 million immigrants European countries had changed their laws to make it easier for people to leave their homeland • Many Europeans favored democracy over their traditional class system

Atlantic Voyage

• Most people rode in “steerage” across the Atlantic • • They arrived at Ellis Island Their success depended on if they found others of their own ethnicity

Asian Immigration

• • People from Asia came through Angel Island Worked to build the transcontinental railroad

Nativism

• An extreme dislike for foreigners by native born people and a desire to limit immigration – Some people feared Catholics would take over the mostly protestant US – Labor unions felt immigrants were willing to work for less $ and take away jobs or become strike breakers (Workingman’s Party of California) – Chinese Exclusion Act

Review Questions

• • • • • • • From where were immigrants coming into the US in the late 1800s?

What determined how well immigrants adjusted to American culture?

What led to an increase in Chinese immigrants?

Where were Asian immigrants entered into the US?

What is Nativism and its what are its effects?

Why did labor unions oppose immigration?

What was the purpose of the Workingman’s Party of

California?

Essay Question and Answer:

•

Describe several reasons Europeans immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1800s.

– Many poor European Farmers came simply because the United States had plenty of jobs available and few immigration restrictions. Many Europeans moved to avoid forced military service. Others especially Jews living in Poland and Russia, fled to avoid religious persecution. By the late 1800s, most European states had made it easy to move to America. They had repealed laws that kept people from leaving. At the same time, moving to the United States offered a chance to break away from Europe’s class system, and move to a democratic nation where newcomers had a chance to move up the social ladder.