Essay On Gilded Age Immigration

The United States experienced major waves of Immigrants during the War time and the 1800’s and early 1900’s. 25,000 Asian Immigrants went to California for a gold rush and migrated there by the 1850’s. A lot of Immigration had to do with slaves and such. During the 1890’s Central, and Eastern Europe came to America, so did the Italians and Jews. The start of Immigration was different from today’s time. Back then people who migrated to the United States was easy.

Americans were unsettled by the overwhelming amount of new immigrants. The new immigrants came in such massive quantities that in 1900 immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe made up as much as 70 percent of all immigrants. This is a dramatic increase considering that in midcentury these immigrants only made up 1 percent of the immigrant population. This overhaul of new immigrants led to severe hostility, bias, and nativism. Nativism is the belief that native-born white Americans were superior to newcomers. Competition for jobs and housing had never been higher in the late 19th century. America was in an economic recession and most immigrants were willing to work for much lower wages than natural born citizens which as a result put them out of work and ultimately housing. This however was only one problem, religion was another. American Protestants were suspicious of Catholicism which was the religion of many new immigrants including the Irish, German, Italian, and Polish. The majority of white Protestants would not hire, vote for, or even work with Catholics or Jewish people. In severe cases Americans would even sign contracts agreeing not to

Many people from all over the world saw America as a place to create a better life for them and their family. America was a place full of many job opportunities, ones that were not available anywhere else in the world. It was in America that people from different nations saw the chance to escape the place they originally lived because of unfair government or as a chance to have money to send back to their family in their homeland. The period after the civil war was an era of tremendous migration from southern and eastern Europe as well as from China, because of all the opportunities that were available here that were not available anywhere else. Migration was also prominent within America when African Americans

During the late 1800s, inhabitants from all parts of the world made the decision to leave their jobs and homes to immigrate to the United States. They fled rising taxes, famine, crop failure, land and job shortages, to come to the United States. Perceived to be one of the greater countries for economic opportunity, many sought freedom from religious and political persecution. Around twelve million immigrants arrived in the United States between 1870 and 1900. Before the Civil War, the majority of immigrants were from Germany, Ireland, and England. There would be a drastic change in the next three decades. After the Civil War, immigrants

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many American nativist groups opposed free unrestricted immigration. Although racism is a main reason, there were many others. Economic, political, social and moral standards seemed to be threatened by these newcomers. The immigrants were unfamiliar of the language and customs that we take for granted in our everyday lives. The fear that gripped the nation was why people reacted so strongly against immigrants. The people feared change might distort the course of our prospering country. We did not want to become what those immigrants were fleeing.

At the conclusion of the Gilded Age America began to move into the Progressive Era. Immigration during this era was exploding with significant differences from the initial mass immigration before and during the Gilded Age. The social issues centered on race, origin of homeland, social status, culture differences, and religion. Not all immigrants were treated the same or offered the same opportunities. The viewpoints of a European immigrant from Ireland, Italy, Germany, England, or France is very different than an Asian immigrant from China or Japan. Here are two reflections; one from a white first generation European and one of a first generation Asian Immigrant.

The migration of foreigners to the United States has been one of the most powerful forces shaping American history this was especially true between 1860 and 1920. (American A Narrative History, Pg. 827). When immigrants traveled to the new land it was an arduous journey. Arriving in large cities often without their families or understanding the language was difficult.

U.S. as an immigration country, has a long history of immigration. It is a complex demographic phenomenon that has been a major source of population growth and cultural change of the United States. People came here because of varies reason, the major reason among them are fleeing crop failure, land and job shortage, rising taxes, and famine. Nearly 12 million people immigrate to the United States between 1870 and 1900, making it the world largest immigrate country.

During the mass immigration era of America, an abundant number of people traveled to the urban industrial society of the United States in aspiration to seek job opportunities and better lives than the ones they left behind. These groups included the Poles, Italians, Chinese, Mexicans, Japanese, East European Jews, and the African- Americans. However, one of these groups mentioned was distinctly different from the rest: the African-Americans. They were already American citizens, who migrated to the northern American cities to free themselves from segregation, oppression, and harsh conditions they experienced in the South and obtain equal rights and opportunities. Although the African-Americans'

Immigration has been a difficult and rigorous process beginning in the early 1500’s when Europeans began to settle in the United States. After this, German and Irish immigrants came to America during the first wave. Most Germans moved Midwest and settled in areas like St. Louis and Cincinnati because they owned enough money to do so but Irish immigrants tended to stay on the east coast because they were poor. Later, the Homestead Act was created allowing anyone who came to the United States free land if they lived in the country for a minimum time of five years. Building the Transcontinental Railroad also influenced many immigrants to come to the United States. During the second wave of immigration, most people came from Eastern and Southern Europe.

It set new requirements and favored immigrants with existing ties in the U.S or proven working skills. Unlike the previous waves of immigration, most immigrants during this time came from Asia, Latin America and Africa. Political turmoil and the weak economy of their homelands were push factors that led people to move. Many were also seeking asylum from religious or political persecution. Pull factors include the economic opportunity which meant that immigrants with family residing in the U.S could fill jobs that didn’t require formal education or the desperate need to speak english perfectly. This was also a high for illegal immigration, hundreds of thousands snuck into the U.S and found work because the economy was booming and people could find jobs even without

Immigration in America started way back in the day specifically in 1600 with the English pilgrims. People tend migrate in other countries for many different reasons. The colonization/mass immigration to the Americas started with Europeans seeking for religious freedom, about 100 settlers has settled themselves not too far from Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.They were welcomed by the native people who taught them how to survive some bad weather condition. The settlers came and started a new life, many of them became very rich and wealthy. As the years passed, more immigrants from many other countries including; Europe, China, Japan, and Australia have come to America. One of the exceptions was the Africans who were

Such a diverse influx of people had never occurred in US history prior to this time period. Immigrants arrived not only from northern and western European nations, such as Germany, France, and Ireland, but also from Italy, Eastern Europe, Canada, and the Far East. Their motives for seeking a new home were as varied as the places from which they had come.

One major turning point during this period of American history was the significant changes happening in the American population. Reconstruction was over; the country began its attempts at a stoic integration. Yet during this period, numerous American blacks migrated around the country. Many moved into urban areas on the coast and the Midwest. African American flourished for the first time out from under formalized, institutional slavery and the Harlem Renaissance ensued during this period. In addition to the migration of American blacks, during this period, millions of people immigrated into the United States of America, many of whom entered the country via Ellis Island in New York City. Over five million people from all over the world, but with particular concentrations from Europe and Asia, moved into the country and changed the demographics of the country in ways that are evident in the 21st century.

The first great wave of immigrants came to the United States. In the early 19th century, large numbers of people from Western Europe left their countries to escape poverty. Many of the immigrants also came to