HISTORY OF IMMIGRATIONHISTORY OF IMMIGRATION

The Population of The U.S The Population of The U.S

Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

FACTSFACTS

Due to potato rot which began in 1845, the potato crop in Ireland began to fail.

From 1845 to 1850 there were famine conditions in Ireland.

More than one million people died of starvation.

One-fourth of the Irish population moved to the United States.

FACTSFACTS

Because of improved farming methods such as crop rotation-and therefore greater abundance of food-the population of Europe doubled between 1750 and 1850. These improvements reduced the need for farm workers → many peasants were forced off land that they had lived on for generations

FACTSFACTS

The passage to the United States in sailing vessels took three months, on the average, at the beginning of the 1800s.

The passage in steamships (which began to be used in the mid-nineteenth century) took ten days.

FACTSFACTS

The Russian government began to carry out pogroms (organized attacks) against the Jews of eastern Europe. A Norwegian worker could earn up to 4-5 dollars a day in the United States. This was more than triple the wage that the same person could have earned in Norway at that time

FACTSFACTS

The U.S. Congress passed the Contract Labour Law in 1864Employers could make contracts with workers in other countries and many employers lent money to foreign workers to pay for their transportation to the United States. After the workers arrived, they were required to pay the money back out of their wages.

Native AmericanNative American

Different views; time, land, possesions etc.DiseasesRemoving Native Americans from their LandThe Trail of TearsDisaster at Wounded KneeThe Future for Native Americans?

Three great waves of immigration Three great waves of immigration

1815-18605 million immigrants - mainly English, Irish, Germanic, Scandinavian, and others from northwestern Europe

1865-189010 million immigrants - again mainly from northwestern Europe

1890-191415 million immigrants – mainly from Eastern Europe

Reasons for immigration Reasons for immigration

There are two types of motivation for immigration Push factors (reasons to leave home country)Pull factors (reasons for settling in USA)

Reasons for immigration - 1607-1830 Reasons for immigration - 1607-1830

Political Freedom

Religious Tolerance

Economic Opportunity - People want a better life - better job - more money

Political Refugees fear for their lives

Some want free atmosphere

Forced Immigration (Slavery)

Family Reunification

Reasons for immigration – 1830- 1890 Reasons for immigration – 1830- 1890

Land plentiful, and fairly cheap. Jobs were abundant, wages high. Birthrate → decline Industry and urbanization → increaseNotion that in America, the streets were, "paved with gold," Religious and political freedom.

Reasons for immigration 1890-1914 Reasons for immigration 1890-1914

Jews came for religious freedom Italians and Asians came for Work Russians came to escape persecution America had jobs America had religious freedom America was hyped up in many countries as "Land of Opportunity"

Who were the immigrants? 1830-1890Who were the immigrants? 1830-1890

Nationality → Mainly Irish, English and ScandinaviansCircumstances

The Irish → potato famine• They resented the British rule of their country.

The British → look for better opportunities of work• British landlords• The British Protestantism • British taxes

The IrishThe Irish

Settled in New York (too poor to travel)Discriminated againstPoor living conditions (80% of Irish infants died in New York)Took the jobs no one wanted"Let Negroes be servants, and if not Negroes, let Irishmen fill their place..."

Who were the immigrants? 1890 - 1914Who were the immigrants? 1890 - 1914

Italians Voluntary White Catholics and Roman Catholics

RussiansVoluntary White Jewish

Greeks Voluntary White Eastern Orthodox

Eastern EuropeansVoluntary White Jewish & Christian

Eastern/Southern Europe ImmigrantsEastern/Southern Europe Immigrants

Immigrants from Southeastern Europe blamed for increasing problems 1880 – 1920 →New York grew by 300%, Chicago → 400%, L.A→1000%These newcomers were often described by what they were not:

Not ProtestantNot English-speakingNot skilledNot educated Not liked.

Anglo-Saxon Myth createdRestrictions on immigration gradually imposedAnti-Catholic feelings Anti-eastern European feelings Polish immigrant assassinated the American president (McKinley)

Norwegian settlersNorwegian settlers

Nearly 1 million between 1820-1920Why?

LandSocial and political reasonsHigher wagesIncrease in poulationCleng Peerson”Sloopers”

Where?Most settled in the Mid West1851 - Treaty of Traverse des Sioux 1862 – Homestead Act

Views on ImmigrantsViews on Immigrants

” The ones who come here are usually the most stupid of their nation. Few understand our language, so we cannot communicate with them.. It has been reported that young men do not believe they are true men until they have shown their manhood by beating their mothers. They do not believe they are truly free unless they also abuse and insult their teachers.

And now they are coming to our country in great numbers. Few of their children know English. They bring in much of their own reading from their homeland and print newspapers in their own language. In some parts of our state, ads, street signs, and even some legal documents are in their own language and allowed in courts.

Unless the stream of these people can be turned away, they will soon outnumber us so that we will not be able to save our language or our government. However, I am not in favour of keeping them out entirely. All that seems necessary is to distribute them more evenly among us and set up more schools that teach English. In this way, we will preserve the true heritage of our country.”

Benjamin Franklin about German immigrants in 1751

Immigration LawsImmigration Laws

1790 → Naturalization rule establishes →a two-year residency requirement for immigrants wanting to become U.S. citizens.1875 → No convicts or prostitutes.1882 → Immigration from China is curtailed; ex-convicts, lunatics, idiots, and those unable to take care of themselves are excluded. A tax (50 cents) must be paid by immigrants.1892→ Ellis Island opens.1903 → No political radicals, epileptics, professional beggars.1907 → No feeble-minded, tuberculars, persons with physical or mental defects, and persons under age 16 without parents. Tax on new immigrants is increased ($8).1910 → No criminals, paupers, diseased.1917 → Immigrants over 16 years old must pass literacy exam.

Immigration LawsImmigration Laws

1790 → Naturalization rule establishes →a two-year residency requirement for immigrants wanting to become U.S. citizens.

1875 → No convicts or prostitutes.

1882 → Immigration from China is stopped; ex-convicts, lunatics, idiots, and those unable to take care of themselves are excluded. A tax (50 cents) must be paid by immigrants

1892→ Ellis Island opens.

1903 → No political radicals, epileptics, professional beggars.

1907 → No feeble-minded, tuberculars, persons with physical or mental defects, and persons under age 16 without parents. Tax on new immigrants is increased ($8).

1910 → No criminals, paupers, diseased.

1917 → Immigrants over 16 years old must pass literacy exam.

1921 → Annual immigration limited to 350 000. Quotas for each nationality are introduced.

1924 → immigration limited to 165 000 annually.

The nationality quota is revised to 2% of each nationality's representation

More Recent ImmigrationMore Recent Immigration

Cuba → 1950’s – settled mainly in Florida

South America → Legal/Illegal immigrants → California

Asia

Melting Pot vs Salad BowlMelting Pot vs Salad Bowl

Melting Pot→All immigrants mixed together form the ”American”

Salad Bowl →All immigrants are American, yet keep their cultural heritage from their ”home”