Immigration Flashcards
How many immigrants arrived in the USA between 1860 and 1900?
At least 14 million immigrants.
When did mass immigration reach its peak?
Between 1901 and 1910, with the highest recorded numbers of immigrants.
How did immigration change the demographics of New York by 1900?
More Italians than Naples.
• Twice as many Irish as Dublin.
• By 1914, the Jewish population was 1.4 million out of 4.7 million.
Where did most European immigrants settle?
In New York and other cities where they provided cheap industrial labor, or they moved to farm in new territories.
How did Chinese and Japanese immigrants enter the U.S.?
Mostly through San Francisco. By 1890, one-tenth of the city’s population was Chinese.
How did immigration contribute to U.S. industrial growth?
Immigrants provided a cheap, unskilled workforce and became consumers, helping to boost industrialization.
What challenges did immigrants face in America?
Harsh working conditions and low wages.
• Overcrowded cities with poor living conditions.
• Many wives and children had to work to survive.
• Immigrants found that America was not the “land of gold” they expected.
Why did some Americans oppose mass immigration?
Immigrants were used as strike-breakers, causing resentment among American workers.
• They contributed to overcrowding and urban conflict.
• Religious and cultural differences made them targets of discrimination.
• Many were accused of bringing socialist and anarchist ideas.
What was the American Protective Association (1887)?
An anti-immigration group that pressured the government to limit immigration, arguing that Anglo-Saxon Protestant culture was being undermined.
How did U.S. immigration policies change before World War I?
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) stopped Chinese immigration.
• In 1908, immigration from Japan was banned.
