Research Paper and
College Essay on United States History of Immigration
1870-1920's
US has
been a very attractive place for the immigrants ever since its early history.
But these reasons have kept on changing from time to time. Initially the main
reason for immigration during the early periods 1830-1890 was the fact that land
remained plentiful, and fairly cheap. There were plenty of jobs available for
everyone. The labor was rare in those days just as today which attracted huge
inflows of immigrants from all around the world.
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Remember, remember always, that all of us... are descended from immigrants and
revolutionists. [Franklin D. Roosevelt]
Other factors that increased and reinforced this inflow were the decline in the
birthrate as well as an increase in industry and urbanization in the United
States. The United States, in the 19th Century, remained a strong magnet to
immigrants, with offers of jobs and land for farms. Earlier immigrants
considered that in America, the streets were, "paved with gold," and at the same
time as well as offerings of religious and political freedom. A German immigrant
to Missouri wrote home about:
"[The] abundance of overbearing soldiers, haughty clergymen, and inquisitive tax
collectors..."
During the years 1890-1924 the reasons for the immigration had a change from the
past trends. The kinds of immigrants also changed. Jews came for religious
freedom, Italians and Asians came for work and Russians came to escape
persecution from the powers in their home country. The reason that America had
jobs was still prevalent in this period. America had religious freedom for the
many people around those who were facing tyrannical situations from their
respective countries. All these reasons were the cornerstone of the fact that
America was called the “Land of Opportunities”.
The Immigrants to the U.S. during 1870 – 1920s
There were mainly the Irish and British who immigrated to America during this
time period. The circumstances in which the Irish immigrated to America were
quite different from those of the British and they also differed in their impact
on the U.S. One of the reason why the Irish immigrated to U.S was the potato
famine that killed over a million. Apart from the famine conditions, the Irish
were tired of the British rule in their country. The ordinary Irishman was under
the tyrannical control of the British landlords. Ireland was a country of
prolonged depression and social hardship during this period. Ireland was so
ravaged by economic collapse that in rural areas, the average age of death was
19. Miller, Mulholland & Patricia show through intimate letters, journals, and
diaries of actual immigrants, in the Journey of Hope how the Irish in America
and their triumphant rise from adversity and prejudice to prosperity and
prominence. The social class of majority of the Irish immigrants was tenant
farmers. They did not have any expertise for farm work and were quite poor to
but any land for themselves in America. They aged from teenager to young adult
mainly from the Roman Catholic.
The second largest inflow into America was from the British. The British
immigrated to America for various reasons. Mostly professionals, independent
farmers, and skilled workers, the British came to simply look for better
opportunities of work. Most immigrants from Britain were fairly young and
Protestant. Cinel has noticed that return migration to Italy from the United
States from 1870 to 1929 took place. A large number of Italians did not intend
to settle permanently in the United States. Rather, they immigrated temporarily
to the United States to make money in order to buy land in Italy.
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After the Civil War of 1861, the immigration agents went to Europe to enlist
recruits for the American Industrial army. In 1864 they legalized contracts by
which immigrants pledged the wages of their labor for a term not to exceed
twelve months to repay expenses of their journey to the U.S. This and other such
moves were made to encourage the immigrants. But the year 1868 saw a repeal of
the law. Even under the repeal of the law, the American Emigrant Company still
imported laborers until 1865 when Congress made it unlawful. The immigrants who
expected great work opportunities on American soil were also looked upon by the
politicians as potential voters. There were classes of immigrants who were
considered "voting cattle". These cattle were used by their bosses to milk the
plant of politics. Although the immigrant vote did not seriously affect the
outcome of elections but it gave rise to a serious debate over the rights and
interests of the immigrants. Telushkin states that the Jews first arrived to New
Amsterdam in 1654 and then to the Lower East Side in the early 20th century. It
was the diversity of the immigrants that J. Hector St. Josh de Crevecouer said,
“What, then, is this new man, the American? They are a mixture of English,
Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From this promiscuous breed,
that race, now called Americans, have arisen.”
Unique
Characteristics of America for the immigrants
The main reason why most of the immigrants migrated was the tyrannical
situations in their homelands. America was attractive because of the fact that
young men were not forced to serve long years in the army. The immigrants had a
genuine likeness for the land of opportunities, the U.S, since they could
achieve what their parents could not. They also found in America, a place where
they could do whatever they wanted in the ideas of religion and politics.
Laws Restricting Immigration
There was a propaganda spread in the favor of laws restricting immigration as a
means of protecting the American wage earned. The restrictions on the
immigration started coming in from 1875. The first restriction of immigration
was that of prostitutes and felons. In 1882 the government reacted to the
anti-immigrant feelings and made more restrictions barring the insane, the
retarded, and people likely to need public care. In 1892 the U.S further
restricted the immigration of convicts, polygamists, prostitutes, people
suffering from diseases, and people liable to public charges.
Another reason that the leaders might have judged in those olden times is
pointed out by Patrick J. Buchanan in his work. According to the author in The
Death of the West is that the United States is no longer a healthy melting pot,
but instead a confused, tottering "conglomeration of peoples with almost nothing
in common."
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“America must be kept American” Quoted. President Coolidge signing Immigration
Quota Law in 1924
Quote on immigrant’s importance by Franklin D. Roosevelt
The National Integration of Italian Return Migration, 1870-1929 by Dino Cinel
The Death of the West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil Our
Country and Civilization by Patrick J. Buchanan
The Golden Land: The Story of Jewish Immigration to America: An Interactive
History With Removable Documents and Artifacts by Joseph Telushkin
Journey of Hope: The Story of Irish Immigration to America by Kerby Miller,
Patricia Mulholland Miller, Patricia Muholland Miller
Quote by J. Hector St. Josh de Crevecouer
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