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Chapter 16: The Transformation of American Society

Chapter 16: The Transformation of American Society. (1865-1910). Section 1: The New Immigrants. Pages: 492-497. The New Immigrants. The Lure of America: (492-493) Many immigrants who came to the United States were searching for opportunity to have a better life

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Chapter 16: The Transformation of American Society

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  1. Chapter 16: The Transformation of American Society (1865-1910) Section 1: The New Immigrants Pages: 492-497

  2. The New Immigrants • The Lure of America: (492-493) • Many immigrants who came to the United States were searching for opportunity to have a better life • These hopes brought a new wave of immigrants to the United States during the late 1800s

  3. The New Immigrants • The Lure of America: (492-493) • A New Wave of Immigrants: (492-493) • From 1800 to 1880, more than 10 million immigrants came to the United States. Often called old immigrants, most were Protestants from northwestern Europe • Between 1891 and 1910, some 12 million immigrants arrived on U.S. shores • The increase was so great that by the early 1900s about 60% of the people living in the nation’s 12 largest cities either were foreign born or had foreign-born parents

  4. The New Immigrants • The Lure of America: (492-493) • A New Wave of Immigrants: (492-493) • About 70% of these new immigrants were from southern or eastern Europe. • Some made money to bring back to their homeland and buy land and others just stayed here

  5. The New Immigrants • The Lure of America: (492-493) • The Journey: (493) • Many immigrants learned of available opportunities from railroad and steamship company promoters. These companies pained a tempting – and often false – picture of the United States as land of unlimited opportunity • Some railroad companies exaggerated the availability of employment

  6. The New Immigrants • The Lure of America: (492-493) • The Journey: (493) • Most of the millions who answered these appeals found the ocean journey difficult. • Most traveled in the poorest accommodations, called steerage – these accommodations were below deck on the ship’s lower levels near the steering mechanisms. • The quarters were cramped, with no privacy and little breathing room • Despite these conditions, many immigrants clung to the hope for a better life in the United States

  7. The New Immigrants • Arriving in America: (493-494) • Millions of newcomers in the late 1800s first set foot on U.S. soil on Ellis Island in New York Harbor or on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. • See Statue of Liberty = a symbol of hope for many immigrants • All newcomers who passed through Ellis Island were subjected to a physical exam. • Those with mental disorders, contagious diseases like tuberculosis, or other serious health problems were deported • Those with criminal records or without means to support themselves were sent back • The vast majority of immigrants were allowed to stay

  8. The New Immigrants • Arriving in America: (493-494) • On Angel Island, S.F., thousands of Asian newcomers, who were mostly from China, underwent similar processing. • Chinese applicants faced strict immigration laws. These laws limited entrance to certain skilled groups or to individuals who could show that their parents were born in the United States

  9. The New Immigrants • A New Life (494-496) • Many immigrants found life in the United States an improvement on the conditions of their homeland • Nevertheless, the newcomers endured hardships in America: • Settled in crowded cities where they could find only low-paying, unskilled jobs • Lived in poor housing located in crowded neighborhoods and slums

  10. The New Immigrants • A New Life (494-496) • Immigrant Communities: (495) • Settling in close-knit immigrant communities, newcomers found institutions and neighbors that made their transition more bearable both financially and culturally • In these neighborhoods, for example, residents often spoke the same languages and followed the customs of the old country

  11. The New Immigrants • A New Life (494-496) • Religious institutions: • Neighborhood churches, synagogues, and temples provided community centers that helped immigrants maintain a sense of identity and belonging • Residents in many cities formed religious and nonreligious aid organizations, known as benevolent societies, to help immigrants in cases of sickness, unemployment and death • Benevolent societies attempted to provide an important function by helping immigrants obtain education, health care and jobs

  12. The New Immigrants • A New Life (494-496) • Cultural Practices: (495-496) • Immigrants were often urged by employers, public institutions, and sometimes even family members to join the American mainstream • Many older immigrants cherished ties to the old country • By contrast, children often adopted American cultural practices and tended to view their parents’ old-world language and customs as old-fashioned

  13. The New Immigrants • A New Life (494-496) • The immigrant Worker: (496) • Whether they adopted American habits or remained tied to the traditions of their homeland, most new immigrants shared a common work experience. Many did the country’s “dirty work.” • Work was difficult and physically exhausting. • Hours were long, and wages were low

  14. The New Immigrants • The Nativist Response: (496-497) • Many native-born Americans saw immigration as a threat • Some Americans blamed immigrants for social problems such as crime, poverty, and violence as well as for spreading radical political ideas • Many Americans charged that the immigrants willingness to work cheaply robbed native-born Americans of jobs and lowered wages for all • Unions began demanding restrictions on immigration

  15. The New Immigrants • The Nativist Response: (496-497) • Chinese exclusion: (496-497) • For years Chinese laborers had been tolerated – and taken advantage of – on the West Coast, particularly in California • As unemployment mounted following the Panic of 1873, workers grew less tolerant of the Chinese • The new Workingmen’s Party of California wanted the Chinese to go because they were taking their jobs • Denis Kearney, the Workingmen’s Party leader, addressed crowds across California exciting them through vicious speeches

  16. The New Immigrants • The Nativist Response: (496-497) • Chinese exclusion: (496-497) • In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which denied citizenship to people born in China and prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers • This act made conditions worse for Chinese Americans • Many Chinese still came to the United States only to be held for months at immigration stations

  17. The New Immigrants • The Nativist Response: (496-497 • Immigration Restriction League: (497) • Immigrants endured additional discrimination as new organizations took up the anti-immigration cause • Immigration Restriction League sought to impose literacy tests on all immigrants • Congress passed such a measure, but President Grover Cleveland vetoed it, calling it “illiberal, narrow, and un-American.” • Despite efforts to impose restrictions, immigration continued.

  18. THE END

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