7-1: The New Immigrants
-between 1870 and 1920, 20 million Europeans came to the U.S.
-1907: a million people came to U.S. from Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Russia
-came here to escape religious problems and to get away from the King's ways, wanted farm land, independent lives, criminals sometimes were sent over for punishment, first people to settle in America were called Free Thinkers, people came for opportunities
-Chinese went to the west coast in small numbers, between 1851-83, 300,000 Chinese came to the U.S.
-Chinese came here seeking fortune in the Gold Rush, they also helped build the railroads, and sometimes farmed and mined, perhaps other domestic services
-Japanese settled on the west coast, by 1920, over 200,000 Japs lived in California, wanted to escape from poverty and unemployment
-between 1880 and 1920, 260,000 immigrants arrived in the western and southern states, came from Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, over next 20 years, 700,000 people came to U.S.
-Mexicans came here to find better work, flee from their own political problems, get away from economical crisis, National Reclamation Act of 1902 encouraged Mexicans and others to come to U.S.
-in 1870's, most people came by steamship, ships had disgusting conditions, many diseases, no fresh air or exercise
-Ellis Island was the Chief immigration station, 1892-1954: over 12 million immigrants had passed through, was on the New York Harbor just off the coast of New Jersey, immigrants had to pass inspection, if passed: went to government inspector, there they determined if they met legal requirements to enter U.S.
-to pass government inspection, they had to prove they've never be convicted of a felony, demonstrate they were able to work, and after 1909 they also had to have at least $25 with them
-Angel Island: 2nd largest immigration station, most immigrants here were Asians, fire destroyed it in 1940
-immigrants had to find jobs, homes, and had to adapt to American life, had to learn English
Immigration Restrictions:
-melting pot:mixture of several different races in on country
-Nativism: favoritism toward native-born
-Nativism cause many anti-immigrant groups, which led to immigrant restrictions
-If you weren't white, chances are you were looked down on.
-Nativism also happened with religion, such as Jews
-Anti-Asian Sentiment:
Great Srike of 1887
- Baltimore vs. Ohio Railroad
- One of the first strikes
Haymarket Affair
- In 1886 more than 3000 people came together at Chicago's Haymarket square to protest police brutality
- The police and protestors were seperated
- An unknown protestor threw a bomb at the police and they in turn opened fire
- 7 police officers and several protestors were killed
Homestead Strike
- Workers went on strike at Carnegie Steel Company in Pennsylvania
- Henry Frick announced he would cut wages and the working conditions were poor
- Frick hired detectives to stop the strike from happening by entering the factory
- Fight broke out and three detectives and nine workers died
- The plant remained closed
- National Guard of Pennsylvania got involved in July
- Strike ended in November
Pullman Company Strike
- Pullman Company laid off 3000 of its 5800 workers
- Cut wages of rest from 25% to 50%
- Most took home less than $6 a week
- ARU began to boycott Pullman
- Pullman sent breakers to end strike
- Strike turned violent
- President Grover Cleveland sent in troops and the strike ended
Women Organize
- Mary Harris Jones
- One of most influential people in American Women history
- Wanted equal pay for equal work for women
- Created United Mine Workers of America
- Fought for child labor laws
- Lead thousands of children to President Roosevelt's house to protest
Then Tyler Schaben presented his section from 7:1
Through the Golden Door:
- Immigrants came in the late 19th and 20th centuries
- Many came to earn money and return to their homesteads
- Other immigrants traveled to America to escape harsh conditions such as famine, land shortages, and religious persecution
European Immigrants
- Came between 1870 and 1920, 20 million Europeans arrived in America
- Left because of rising population
Chinese Immigrants
- Came to the west coast in smaller numbers than the Europeans
- Many arrived to seek their fortunes after the discovery of gold in 1848 which sparked the California Gold Rush
- Helped to build the nation's first transcontinental railroad line
- Farmed, mined, and helped with other domestic sevices
Japanese
- Hawaiian planters began to recruit Japanese workers in 1884
- Number of Japanese immigrants peaked in 1907, with 30,000 leaving their country for America
West Indies and Mexico
- Between 1880 and 1920, about 260,000 immigrants arrived in the United States from the West Indies
- They came from Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and others islands
- Many left their homesteads because jobs were scarce in their countries
Life in the New Land
- Immigrants were very crowded on deck
- Were unable to exercise or catch a breath of fresh air
- Had to sleep on lice-infested bunks
- Shared toilets with other passengers
Ellis Island
- Gateway for millions of immigrants
- Busiest immigration system from 1892-1954
- Purpose was to inspect immigrants: they got a physical from a doctor to get into America
- Processing of all immigrants took five hours or more
- Anyone with a serious health problem was sent back home
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