The United States - The making of a nation

American immigration

THE MAKING OF A NATION

FIRST IMMIGRANTS1500s• NEW WORLD’S GOLD• SPANISH• OUTPOSTS• FLORIDA

FIRST IMMIGRANTS1500s• PROSPECTS OF WEALTH• FRENCH FUR TRADERS• TRADING POSTS• St. LAWRENCE

FIRST IMMIGRANTS1500s• BRITISH• PROFIT & RELIGIOUS FREEDOM• JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA• PROTESTANT

FIRST IMMIGRANTS1600s – 1700s• EAST COAST

• DUTCH – NEW YORK• GERMAN – PENNSYLVANIA• SWEDES – DELAWARE• BRITISH – VIRGINIA

ALSO FROM AFRICA, FRANCE, SPAIN AND SWITZERLAND

NATIVE AMERICANS

• Major changes when Europeans arrived

• CLASH of cultures

• Reservations

Native Americans watching the arrival of Europeans

OLD IMMIGRATION• Boomed during the 1840s and 1850s

– From: NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE, ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, IRELAND, GERMANY AND CHINA

– Reasons: POOR HARVESTS, FAMINE, POLITICAL FREEDOM, BETTER LIFE, FAMILY REUNIFICATION

– EASILY ACCEPTED INTO US:• PROTESTANS• READ, WRITE AND SPEAK IN ENGLISH

Prior 1800: OLD IMMIGRANTS

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPEANS• Those who arrive after 1880: NEW IMMIGRANTS

– From: SOUTHERN & EASTERN EUROPE, POLAND, RUSSIA, GRECCE, ITALY, AUSTRIA, HUNGARY

– Reasons: WORK, FAMINE, POLITICAL UNREST, BETTER LIFE

– NOT EASILY ACCEPTED INTO US:• CATHOLICS AND JEWISH• COULD NOT READ OR WRITE• CUSTOMS, LANGUAGE AND APPEARANCE SET THEM APART

• Affected American cities• Rowling NEW YORK and CHICAGO• ETHNIC NEIGHBORHOODS• Preserve language and customs• “Chinatown”

IN AMERICA

NATIVIST SENTIMENT• Rising immigrant population

creates racists attitudes• Prejudices• Fear• Americans pressured

congress to act• 1920s - QUOTA

SYSTEM/RESTRICTION

Americans who hated immigrants

ASSIMILATION PROCESS• FIRST GENERATION

– OBTACLES: DISCRIMITANION AND RELUCTANCY

• SECOND GENERATION– BETTER TO IDENTIFY THEMSELF AS AMERICANS, SPOKE

MOSTLY ENGLISH AND PRACTICED FEWER ETHNIC CUSTOMS

• THIRD GENERATION– USUALLY NO LONGER ABLE TO SPEAK THEIR GRANDPARENTS’

LANGUAGE

• FOURTH/FIFTH GENERATION– INTERMARRIAGE AGAINST ETHNIC IDENTITY

RECENT IMMIGRACION• 1920 IMMIGRATION DROPPED• NEW ASSIMILATION PROBLEM• NEW IMMIGRANTS:– MEXICO, LATIN AMERICA, ASIA– CAMBODIAN AND VIETNAM REFUGEES WHO FLED

THE DESTRUCTION AND UPHEAVAL OF THE VIETNAN WAR

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