Immigration 1917-1933

Question 1

Why did ‘Old’ Americans advocate for ending unrestricted immigration (3)

Answer 1

• Most were protestant, thought Catholic and Jewish immigrants threatened national values
• Immigrant willingness to accept lower pay and work as strike-breakers contributed to lower wages for American born workers
• Old Americans resented the impact of immigrants on urban life

Question 2

Impact of immigrants on urban life

Answer 2

-drawn to factories, cheap residence and presence of other immigrants form their home country->

• immigrants congregated in overcrowded slums and ghettos in big cities

-Emergence of Jewish ghettos, Little Italy, China Town.

Question 3

How many immigrants were in Chicago during the 1920s?

Answer 3

1/3 of Chicago’s 2.7 million population was foreign born

Question 4

Reasons for increased opposition to immigrants after 1917 (4)

Answer 4

-WW1 increased nationalism and isolationism
-Brief post-war depression, saw immigrants as job competition
-Red Scare
-Italian born Sacco and Vanzetti publicly charged

Question 5

Overall impact of immigration policies

Answer 5

-Between 1901 and 1910 over 1 million immigrants arrived in the USA annually
-By 1929, it was only 150,000