1. A Nation of immigrants

2. Growth of immigration
Last half of 19th Century- U.S. population tripled from million in 1850 to 76.2 million in 1900
Fueled by the arrival of million immigrants
8.8 million more immigrants arrived between

3. Growth of Immigration
Push and pull factors increased migration around the world
Negative forces driving Europeans to emigrate:
Poverty of displaced farmworkers
Political turmoil
Overcrowding and joblessness in cities
Religious persecution
Positive reasons people moved to the U.S:
Reputation for political and religious freedom
Economic opportunities, abundance of industrial jobs
Advent of large steamships and relatively inexpensive one-way trips made it possible for millions of poor people to emigrate

4. “old” Immigrants
1880s- vast majority of immigrants came from northern and western Europe
British Isles, Germany, Scandinavia
Mostly Protestant, some Irish or German Catholics
Mostly English-speaking, high levels of literacy and occupational skills
These immigrants easily blended into a mostly rural American society in the late 19th Century
Accepted by most native-born Americans

5. “New” Immigrants
From 1890s up until WWI in most immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe
Italians, Greeks, Slovaks, Poles, Russians
Many were poor, illiterate; came from autocratic countries
Mostly Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish

6. “New” Immigrants
Most new immigrants crowded into poor ethnic neighborhoods in the cities
Approx. 25% of these immigrants were “birds of passage”
Young men contracted for unskilled jobs to make money to bring back to their families in their native land
Many “new” European immigrants were not as welcomed as their northern and western counterparts

7. Restricting Immigration
At first, there were few legal restrictions on immigration to the U.S.
1886- the same year Statue of Liberty was placed in New York Harbor, Congress passed several new laws restricting immigration
First major restriction came in under the Chinese Exclusion Act

8. Restricting Immigration
Other restrictions in 1882 banned the immigration of “undesirable” persons
Criminals, convicts, mentally ill
Contract Labor Law of 1885 restricted temporary workers to protect American workers’ jobs
1917- a literacy test is put into place for immigrants
When Ellis Island opened up as an immigration center, new arrivals had to pass rigorous medical exams and pay a tax before entering the country

9. Restricting Immigration
Efforts to restrict immigration were supported by diverse groups of Americans:
Labor unions- feared employers would use immigrants to lower wages and break up strikes
Nativists- openly prejudice against Roman Catholics and immigrants
Social Darwinists- viewed new immigrants as biologically inferior
During economic hardships, immigrants became a convenient scapegoat for jobless workers as well as for employers who blamed strikes and labor conflicts on foreign ideas/agitators

10. Restricting Immigration
Anti-immigrant feelings and early restrictions did not stop the flow of newcomers
Turn of century- 15% of the U.S. population were immigrants
Statue of Liberty remained a beacon of hope for the poor and oppressed

11. ?
What were the negative “push” factors driving people out of Europe during this time period?
What were some of the positive “pull” factors that encouraged people to emigrate to the U.S.?
Describe the fundamental differences between “old” and “new” immigrants
Give two or three examples of efforts by the government to restrict immigration into the U.S.
List the three groups of Americans who opposed immigration, and their reasons why.