Immigration Flashcards
1
Q
Why did people move to America?
A
- Europe was crowded and land was expensive
- American land was cheap, fertile and it had natural resources (e.g. coal, iron etc)
- poverty in Europe (terrible housing, poor health, bad diet)
- standard of living was higher in America and workers were paid more
- lots of jobs in steel, coal, textiles, car, chemical and electrical industries
- much of Europe was still divided by class - it was hard for working class people to improve their lives
- America has the ‘American Dream’ (everyone can achieve success) - the Declaration of Independence says that ‘all men are created equal’
- various groups were persecuted for their religious or political beliefs in some European countries
2
Q
How many people emigrated to America between 1850 and 1914?
A
Around 40 million
3
Q
Why were Americans suspicious of immigrants?
A
- they were usually poor, didn’t speak English well, and had unfamiliar traditions and religious practices (many were Jewish or Catholic, but America was mostly Protestant)
- WW1 had added to American suspicion of ‘foreigners’
- they were afraid of Russian immigrants starting a revolution like the one in Russia in 1917 or trying to spread communism
- some Americans thought immigrants were ‘taking’ American jobs
4
Q
What were the lives of immigrants like?
A
- some immigrants achieved great success (e.g. by opening businesses)
- for many, working and living conditions were very poor and difficult
- many were poorly educated and willing to work very low wages in any kind of job
- many thought that immigrants were out to ‘steal’ jobs, creating prejudice
5
Q
What was the literacy act (1917)?
A
A law which banned entry to any immigrant over the age of 16 who could not read a sentence of 40 words.
6
Q
What was the immigration quota act (1921)?
A
A law limiting the number of immigrants to 350,000 a year
7
Q
What was the National Origins Act (1924)?
A
A law which limited the number of immigrants to 150,000 a year
