What region in Europe was the source of the most immigrants to America at the turn of the 20th Century?

I. Who were the “new” immigrants?

Before 1890, most immigrants were from Northern and Western Europe

After 1890, most “new” immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe

II. Reasons for immigration:

-Unemployment

-Poverty

-Famine

-Overpopulation

-Political Persecution

-Anti-Semitism

“Push” Factors “Pull” Factors

II. Reasons for immigration:

-Unemployment

-Poverty

-Famine

-Overpopulation

-Political Persecution

-Anti-Semitism

-Employment

-“streets paved with

gold”

-Religious Freedom

-Political Freedom

-Steamboat Ads

“Push” Factors “Pull” Factors

America as a land of opportunity and freedom

Titanic

Journey: 3,000 miles, 2-3 weeks

Steerage- 3rd class, below deck- cargo section of steamboat

III. The Journey

“First-Class people, all therich people, were way above. I’d look up at them, they were all dressed nice, and we were like a flock ofsheep down below.”

Paulina Caramando,Sicily

Fresh Air

The Statue of Libertywas a sign the immigrantshad made it to America

“Give me your tired ,your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”

Emma Lazarus, 1883

Ellis Island- primaryprocessing station for European immigrants(1892-1954)—

1907 peak year with 11,747in one day!

ID Tags

“Line inspection”- doctors observe immigrants for physical or mental “defects”

Check for trachoma,contagious eye disease

“Registry Room”-immigrants questioned about political beliefs, marital status,prospective employment, skills,etc.

80% of immigrants throughEllis Island “admitted” to America

“New” immigrants (Slavs, Italians, Poles) contributed the primary labor force for America’s Industrial Revolution

Textile Mills, Steel Mills, Coal Mines— low pay and dangerous conditions

(1880-1910) 8.4 million immigrants arrived 1,285,000 in 1907

IV. “Nativist” Resistance

Immigration Restriction League, American Protective Association fear immigrants would take jobs, prejudice based on religious and cultural differences

Eugenics- “well-born,” belief that through selective “breeding” humans could improve their condition- poverty,

alcoholism, thievery, etc. were inherited traits

(favored sterilization, euthanasia of “defected” babies, execution of “feeble minded”, no intermarriage, limitation of “new” immigrants)"The population of the United States will, on account of the great influx of blood from Southeastern Europe, rapidly become darker in pigmentation, smaller in stature, more given to crimes of larceny, kidnapping, assault, murder, rape and sex immorality. And the ratio of insanity in the population will rapidly increase."

Charles Davenport, 1911Eugenics Records Office

Dr. Haiselden allowedchildren with “defects”to die– supported bysome as humane

“Black Stork”

Advice Books

Every 18 seconds aperson is bornwho will neverdevelop mentallybeyond a normal 8 yr. old

Every 50 secondsa person is put injail. Very fewnormal personsgo to jail.

Every 16 seconds aperson isborn in U.S.

Every 7 ½ minutesa high grade person is born who willhave ability todo creative workand be fit for leadership. About4% of all Americans.

“Every 15 seconds $100 of your money goes for the case of personswith bad heredity such as the insane feeble minded criminals and otherdefectives”

Fitter Family Contests-

measured beauty, intelligence,morality, mental health

What doesthis politicalcartoon suggestto solve theimmigrant problem?

Immigration Restriction Act of 1921(Emergency Quota Act)- limit each nationality to 3% of census in 1910

Johnson-Reid Act 1924- limited each nationality to 2% of census in 1890

V. Congress Acts to “Protect” America from “inferior” peoples- “genetic suicide”

***Both lows cut off most immigration to America for several decades

VI. Huge influx of immigrants lead to the development of cities (urbanization): New York, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh

Factories provide jobs but workersoften lived in poor conditions.

Tenements- cheap housing in city multifamily dwellings

Slums associated withovercrowding and poor sanitation

Little Italy

Chinatown

To cope in their new surroundings immigrants often settled in ethnic neighborhoods

Rapid growth of cities caused housing shortages and need for new public services- sewage and water systems and public transportation

N.Y. City 1st subway system

Richmond, Va. installs 1st electric streetcar/ trolley

Immigrants began process of assimilation- “Melting Pot”

Children learn English, American customs, citizenship. Public school served an essential role in assimilation.

What does this process of assimilation resemble?

VII. Becoming American

What if immigrants worked hard and learned English and stillwere poor? What social theory attempted to explain why many“new” immigrants lived in poor slums at the turn of the 20th?

QUESTION:

Social Darwinism- “survival of the fittest”

Jane Adams- opens settlement house in Chicago called Hull House. Outlet forcharity work. Rejected blaming immigrants for being poor.

Hull House provided classes--English, civics, cooking, dress making

kindergarten, laundry, employment, day care, legal aid, health care

Charles Loring Brace- founded New York Children’s Aid Societyalternative to slums- Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)

Brace- takes on issue of orphansOrphan Trains--- children taken from streets and sent to western farms, Christian families