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Immigration
(Some Information from University of Wisconsin, Stanley K. Schultz, Professor of History)
Some questions to keep in mind:
Why did so many Europeans choose to migrate to the United States during the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries?
How did immigration transform American society and culture?
How did Americans react to immigration?
Three great waves of immigration
c. 1815-1860
5 million immigrants settled permanently in the United States, mainly English, Irish, Germanic,
Scandinavian, and others from northwestern Europe
c. 1865-1890
10 million immigrants settled permanently in America, again mainly from northwestern Europe
c. 1890-1914
15 million immigrants journeyed to the United States, many of whom were Austro-Hungarian, Turkish,
Lithuanian, Russian, Jewish, Greek, Italian, Romanian
The Causes of Immigration
"America was built by immigrants. From Plymouth Rock in the seventeenth century to Ellis Island in the
twentieth, people born elsewhere came to America. Some were fleeing religious persecution and political
turmoil. Most, however, came for economic reasons and were part of extensive migratory systems that
responded to changing demands in labor markets....The American economy had needed both unskilled
and skilled workers through much of the nineteenth century. But after the 1880s, the demand was almost
exclusively for unskilled workers to fill the growing number of factory jobs. Coinciding with this were
conditions in some areas of Europe, which were undergoing substantial economic changes in the 1880s.
Southern and eastern Europeans, dislocated from their land and possessing few skills, were attracted to
the burgeoning industries in the United States.
Immigrants and Urban Settlement
Although many immigrants did migrate to rural America, a majority settled in cities. Immigrant
populations, in fact, were highest in four of the largest cities at the time (New York, Boston, Pittsburgh,
and Chicago). Furthermore, five out of every six Irish and Russian travelers, three out of four Italian and
Hungarian immigrants and seven of ten arrivals from England, eventually settled in the nation's great
cities.
Why did immigrants settle in cities?
Many immigrants came to America with little money to buy farms or expensive farming equipment.
Others settled in cities because American agriculture was far different from what most had been
accustomed to in Europe. Some, including many Slavs, simply came to America too late to acquire free
or cheap land. Others moved to cities for different reasons. Many Irish opted for an urban life because
they associated farming with English landlords who had persecuted Irish tenant farmers. Immigrants,
particularly Jews, settled in urban areas because their forebears had already established vibrant cultural,
religious, and educational institutions throughout many of the nation's largest cities.
Reactions of "Native" Americans to
Immigration
The term "native," in this context, refers not to American Indians, but rather to Anglo-Americans who
considered themselves "true Americans" even though their ancestors had been migrated from Europe just
a few generations before. At first, many champions of American business, such as the editors of The
Commercial and Financial Chronicle, argued that immigration would provide a ready pool of unskilled
workers to man the nation's factories and would help boost the American economy. Many businessmen,
however, began to change their minds as strikes became more common and labor unions grew larger
and more powerful. Increasingly, they and many other Americans blamed "radical" immigrants to for the
nation's labor problems. The reaction to the Haymarket Square bombing in 1886 demonstrates this kind
of thinking in action.
Significant Historic Dates in U.S. Immigration
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Naturalization Act of 1790: Stipulated that "any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted
to become a citizen of the United States"
1875: Supreme Court declared that regulation of US immigration is the responsibility of the
Federal Government.
1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act: Prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United
States.
1885 and 1887: Alien Contract Labor laws which prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to
the United States.
1891: The Federal Government assumed the task of inspecting, admitting, rejecting, and
processing all immigrants seeking admission to the U.S.
1892: On January 2, a new Federal US immigration station opened on Ellis Island in New York
Harbor.
1903: This Act restated the 1891 provisions concerning land borders and called for rules covering
entry as well as inspection of aliens crossing the Mexican border.
1907 The US immigration Act of 1907: Reorganized the states bordering Mexico (Arizona, New
Mexico and a large part of Texas) into Mexican Border District to stem the flow of immigrants into
the United States.
1917 - 1924: A series of laws were enacted to further limit the number of new immigrants. These
laws established the quota system and imposed passport requirements. They expanded the
categories of excludable aliens and banned all Asians except Japanese.
1924 Act: Reduced the number of US immigration visas and allocated them on the basis of
national origin.
1940 The Alien Registration Act: Required all aliens (non-U.S. citizens) within the United States
to register with the Government and receive an Alien Registration Receipt Card (the predecessor
of the "Green Card").
1950 Passage of the Internal Security Act: Rendered the Alien Registration Receipt Card even
more valuable. Immigrants with legal status had their cards replaced with what generally became
known as the "green card" (Form I-151).
1952 Act: Established the modern day US immigration system. It created a quota system which
imposes limits on a per-country basis. It also established the preference system that gave priority
to family members and people with special skills.
1968 Act: Eliminated US immigration discrimination based on race, place of birth, sex and
residence. It also officially abolished restrictions on Oriental US immigration.
1976 Act: Eliminated preferential treatment for residents of the Western Hemisphere.
1980 Act: Established a general policy governing the admission of refugees.
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1986 Act: Focused on curtailing illegal US immigration. It legalized hundred of thousands of illegal
immigrants. The 1986 Immigration Act is commonly known as the 1986 Immigration Amnesty. It
also introduced the employer sanctions program which fines employers for hiring illegal workers. It
also passed tough laws to prevent bogus marriage fraud.
1990 Act: Established an annual limit for certain categories of immigrants. It was aimed at helping
U.S. businesses attract skilled foreign workers; thus, it expanded the business class categories to
favor persons who can make educational, professional or financial contributions. It created the
Immigrant Investor Program.
USA Patriot Act 2001: Uniting and Strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required
to intercept and obstruct terrorism.
Creation of the USCIS 2003: As of March 1, 2003, the US immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) becomes part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department’s new U.S.
Citizenship and US immigration Services (USCIS) function is to handle US immigration services
and benefits, including citizenship, applications for permanent residence, non-immigrant
applications, asylum, and refugee services. US immigration enforcement functions are now under
the Department's Border and Transportation Security Directorate, known as the Bureau of US
immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Immigration - Visit these sites for more Information about
immigration.
American West: European Emigration
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor
Ancestors in the Americas
Center for Immigration Studies
Chinese Exclusion Act
Ellis Island History Channel
Ellis Island
Ellis Island Records
Immigration in the 1920s
Michigan State University
Immigration in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
Immigration History
Irish Immigration
Emerald Isle Immigration Center of New York
The Irish Potato Famine
Letters from Immigrant