Unit 6: Topic 8 - Immigration and Migration in the Gilded Age Flashcards
How much did the U.S. population increase in the last half of the 1800’s?
During the 50 year period between 1850-1900 the U.S. population tripled to 76 million people. Much of this was due to immigration to the United States, primarily from European countries, to industrial cities in the U.S.
The end of the century had a particularly sharp increase of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe.
Why did so many immigrants come to the United States during the late 1800’s?
Common reasons for U.S. immigration were overcrowding and joblessness in European cities. Religious persecution (ex: Jewish people) in Europe was common as well and the United States offered the hope of a better future.
How did immigration differ from the East Coast to the West Coast during the Gilded Age?
While the West Coast had many European immigrants, it also had a large group of people from Asian countries. One of the biggest factors in this immigration was the popularity of the California gold rush, with many new immigrants from China arriving to work.
During the Gilded Age, many of the new immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe. This “new” variety of immigrants included Italians, Greeks, Poles, Slovaks, Russians, Serbs, and more.
Who were the Exodusters?
The exodusters were Black southerners who migrated to places such as Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado during the late 1800’s. Because southern society was hostile (Jim Crow laws, KKK, etc.) toward Black Americans even after the Civil War, the exodusters moved and hoped for a better future. Many became homesteaders while others settled in the growing cities of this region.
Groups such as the Colored Relief Board and the Kansas Freedmen’s Aid Society were created to help the exoduster’s flee the South.
What were tenements?
During the late 1800’s, immigrants in major cities often lived in crowded and unsanitary housing called tenements. Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and tuberculosis spread in these settings and poverty was widespread.
What are ethnic enclaves?
As immigrants settled in new cities, they lived in neighborhoods with immigrants from the same mother country. These ethnic enclaves were a place where cultural institutions and practices would remain, helping immigrants stay connected to their home country. Religious, economic, and political organizations such as churches, synagogues, banks, and political groups helped define the neighborhood community.
