Bell Ringer Read the secondary source on the left and then answer the questions on the right in your notebook. Be sure to write down the questions! In 1830, President Andrew Jackson and Congress signed the Indian Removal Act which gave the U.S. government the power to force American Indians off their land. Although this law was later called unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, in 1838, more than 15,000 Cherokee Indians were forced from their homes in North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee by the United States Army. After being held in removal forts and then internment camps under poor conditions during the summer, many Cherokee began a forced march to what is now Oklahoma in September. The Cherokee’s journey took them more than a thousand miles. In the fall, heavy rains made wagon roads impassable. Winter proved even worse, as most of the Indians had inadequate clothing, and food was scarce. Disease became rampant, and many people fell sick. Most estimates say that more than 4,000 Cherokee died during the forced march. The survivors who reached Oklahoma in January, February, or March 1839 were weak and malnourished. The descendants of those survivors now make up the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, with a membership of more than 165,000. What law forced American Indians in the Southeast off their land in 1830? Where were they forced to march? What were the conditions on the march?

Written by Neil Diamond Coming To America AMERICA Written by Neil Diamond Far We've been traveling far Without a home But not without a star   Free Only want to be free We huddle close Hang on to a dream   On the boats and on the planes They're coming to America Never looking back again They're coming to America   Home, don't it seem so far away Oh, we're traveling light today In the eye of the storm In the eye of the storm   Home, to a new and a shiny place Make our bed, and we'll say our grace Freedom's light burning warm Freedom's light burning warm   Everywhere around the world They're coming to America Every time that flag's unfurled They're coming to America   Got a dream to take them there They're coming to America Got a dream they've come to share They're coming to America   They're coming to America They're coming to America They're coming to America They're coming to America Today, today, today, today, today   My country 'tis of thee Today Sweet land of liberty Today Of thee I sing Today Of thee I sing Today

Coming to America Immigrants came to America for many reasons. Political (to free themselves from oppressive rulers and to have a voice in government) Economic (to improve their jobs and the lives of family) Social (to avoid religious and ethnic persecution)

Old Immigrants 1800-1880s Before the Civil War America had an open immigration policy. Anyone could come here with no restrictions. Immigrants at this time were considered the "OLD IMMIGRANTS.“ Most came from northwestern Europe. These immigrants were mostly Irish and German, but there were also English and Scandinavians. These immigrants were often light skinned and had light eyes and hair. They were usually Protestant Christians.

Immigration After 1865 After the Civil War, which ended in 1865, Americans began to want to restrict immigration. Groups called nativists formed to oppose immigration. The Ku Klux Klan and the Know Nothings were nativists groups. They claimed that immigrants competed for jobs that should go to natural born Americans. Factory owners favored hiring immigrants, because they would accept lower pay than natural born Americans. Nativists: a group of people who favored native-born Americans over immigrants.

Immigration from 1800 – 1920 A look at the statistics shows that immigration continued to increase tremendously in the late 1800s. Immigration peaked in the early 1900s. The 1921 Emergency Quota Act (also known as the National Origins Act) restricted immigration. It limited the number of people who could come from certain European countries. The immigrants most affected were different from the Old Immigrants and were called NEW IMMIGRANTS.

New Immigrants 1880s-1920s Most came from Eastern and Southern Europe. These immigrants were often Jews from Russia and Poland plus others from Ireland, Italy and Greece. Their religions were different from the Old Immigrants. New immigrants were often Catholic, Orthodox or Jewish. They were typically darker in color with darker hair and eyes. Some immigrants also started to come from the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia. These new immigrants were the targets of increased discrimination.

Immigrant Life in America Ellis Island, New York Bay (Across from Manhattan & next to the Statue of Liberty)

Immigrant Inspections Immigrants were checked for mental and physical health to prevent the spread of diseases and ensure that they could work. Inspectors could turn away immigrants that were mentally, physically or ethnically “unfit” for American society or labor.

Americanization Schools were often a place of Americanization through the flag salute and school lunches.

West Coast Immigration Angel Island (In San Francisco Bay near Oakland)

West Coast Immigration Chinese immigrants came to America largely to build the railroads in the West because they were a source of cheap labor. They also became miners, fishers and businesspeople. Chinese immigrants developed a rich culture and community, especially in the city of San Francisco. In 1882, the United States passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned future immigration from China and refused citizenship to Chinese already living in America.

Immigrant Occupations Mine Workers, Cigar Factory workers in 1927

Typical Immigrant Occupations Italian & Polish men = building trades Eastern European men = mines & steel mills French Canadians = New England textile mills Jewish men & women & Italian women= garment industry Greeks & Chinese = opened businesses like laundries & restaurants All careers required long hours & hard labor. (They often worked 15 hour days in adverse conditions to pay for family necessities.)