14.1 Essential Question: What were the causes and effects of America’s first great wave of immigration?

Lesson 14.1: The Hopes of Immigrants Today we will identify the reasons for immigration and describe their experiences in America.

Copy the following graphic chart onto Portfolio p63 Why did each nationality come to America? Where did they settle? Why did they settle there? Scandinavians came because... (three places) (three reasons) Germans came because... The Irish came because... Emigrant – define Immigrant – define

An emigrant is a person who leaves a country. What is an emigrant? An emigrant is a person who leaves a country.

An immigrant is a person who settles in a new country. What is an immigrant? An immigrant is a person who settles in a new country.

Throughout history, millions of immigrants have come to America. In the first half of the 19th Century, most immigrants came from Germany, Scandinavia, or Ireland.

Most immigrants came to the United States by crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the steerage areas of ships.

For these immigrants, the crossing of the Atlantic was horrifying.

The Irish sailed in vessels known as ‘famine ships.’ They were called famine ships because the Irish were fleeing a terrible famine in their homeland.

Hundreds crowded below decks.

Disease spread rapidly, and 20% of the immigrants died. Why would immigrants risk so many dangers and hardships to reach America?

Immigrants came to America because of a variety of push-pull factors. A push-pull factor is a factor that pushes people out of their native lands or pulls them toward a new place.

There are five typical push factors. population growth crop failures religious persecution political turmoil

Three pull factors led immigrants to the United States. political or religious freedom economic opportunity land ownership

1. What were the push-pull factors that led to immigration? Population growth Agricultural changes Crop failures Industrialization Religious/political unrest PULL: Religious freedom Economic opportunity Abundant land

Government oppression was one cause of immigration.

Liberals were arrested and imprisoned. In 1849, a revolution by intellectuals seeking democratic reforms was put down in Germany. Liberals were arrested and imprisoned.

The liberal German emigrants sold their farms, their shops, and all their belongings.

They withdrew their savings and sailed for America.

Many German immigrants arrived with some money and a valuable skill Many German immigrants arrived with some money and a valuable skill. They set up businesses or bought farms in Midwestern cities or in the countryside.

Most German immigrants settled in the Midwestern United States, especially Wisconsin.

Some Germans were drawn to Texas, where a group of German nobles bought land and sold it in parcels to German immigrants.

Germans also settled in Eastern cities, where they opened businesses as bakers, butchers, carpenters, printers, shoemakers, and tailors.

2. Where did most German immigrants settle? The upper Midwest, especially Wisconsin Texas Eastern cities

Although there was some anti-immigrant resentment from native-born Americans, most German immigrants made a good life for themselves and their families.

In Ireland, a massive crop failure caused a huge wave of immigration.

Economic conditions had been getting worse in Ireland for generations.

In Ireland, poor people lived on a half dozen potatoes and a cup of milk each day.

But in the late 1840s, a disease called blight struck and nearly wiped out the entire potato crop.

With their major source of food gone, hundreds of Irish peasants died each month.

Eventually, over a million people are believed to have starved.

Two million others left Ireland, with 1.5 million coming to America.

Most of these emigrants were tenant farmers and unskilled laborers.

3. What were the results of the Potato Famine? Over a million people starved to death in Ireland. Two million others left Ireland, most settling in America.

Money to pay for their passage came from relatives, relief organizations and local Irish governments.

Most Irish immigrants arrived in America without enough money even to buy a train ticket to the frontier, let alone to buy land.

Unable to move any further inland, where homesteads were available, the Irish had to make a life for themselves in the eastern cities.

The Irish had to take whatever jobs they could find as laborers, cooks and servants.

They lived in crowded, unhealthy apartments in cities like New York and Boston.

Cities over-crowded with new immigrants suffered from many problems. Housing shortages Cramped apartment buildings that lacked sunlight and fresh air. Outdoor toilets that overflowed, spreading disease Depressed urban neighborhoods, filled with crime

How did the arrival of so many immigrants affect U.S. cities? The arrival of so many immigrants caused U.S. cities to grow rapidly, leading to overcrowding, disease, and crime.

Immigrants were frequent victims of prejudice. Prejudice is a negative opinion that is not based on facts.

Americans had mixed feelings about immigrants.

While factory owners welcomed immigrants as a new source of cheap labor, native-born workers saw them as competition for jobs.

The Irish were hated almost as much as blacks among most working class Americans during the mid-1800s, because both groups were willing to work for low wages.

Many Protestant Americans especially objected to the presence of Irish immigrants.

Many Protestant Americans distrusted Roman Catholics Many Protestant Americans distrusted Roman Catholics. They feared that the Irish would remain loyal to the pope in Rome, who could control America through their votes.

In addition to being Catholic, the Irish were also criticized for their fondness for whiskey. Likewise, the Germans had a reputation for drinking beer.

Anti-immigrant feeling was especially strong among nativists. A nativist is a native-born American who wanted to eliminate foreign influence.

Some U.S.-born citizens were prejudiced against immigrants because they believed that foreigners could not learn American ways.

They also feared that immigrants might come to outnumber native-born Americans.

5. Why were some U.S.-born citizens prejudiced against immigrants? They believed that foreigners could not learn American ways. They feared that immigrants might come to outnumber native-born Americans.

Nativism was one response to immigration Nativism was one response to immigration. Various organizations and secret societies were created to limit and control immigration.

Typical goals of the nativist groups Prohibit Catholics and aliens from holding public office Reduce the number of immigrants admitted to the country Limits on the voting rights of immigrants who became citizens

The Know-Nothings, the most influential nativist party, supported political candidates and even won some state and national posts in the 1850s. Know-Nothings wanted to limit the number of immigrants arriving each year. They wanted to keep Catholics out of the government. They also wanted a 21-year waiting period before granting citizenship to immigrants.

Nativism began to die down by the 1850s Nativism began to die down by the 1850s. The Know-Nothing party lost support as people grew tired of its secrecy and hatred.

It wanted to ban Catholics and the foreign-born from holding office. 6. What was the Know-Nothing Party, and what was its point of view about immigration? It wanted to ban Catholics and the foreign-born from holding office. It also called for reductions in immigration. It wanted a 21-year wait to become an American citizen.

More importantly, the conflict between immigrants and the native-born was being overshadowed by the growing divisions between North and South.

Why did each nationality come to America? Where did they settle? Why did they settle there? Scandinavians wanted to buy cheap land. The Midwest, esp. Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes, forests, and cold winters were like home. Good climate for oats; land offered by G. nobles; small business owners Germans sought economic opportunity Midwest (Wi), Texas, and Eastern cities East Coast cities (Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore) Too poor to buy land, few skills; stayed where their boats landed Irish fled poverty, famine, and British rule

Copy the following chart onto the top one-third of NB p. 23. Push Factors Pull Factors 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.