United States - The Making of a Nation

FIRST IMMIGRANTS

1500s

• NEW WORLD’S GOLD

• SPANISH

• OUTPOSTS

• FLORIDA

FIRST IMMIGRANTS

1500s

• PROSPECTS OF WEALTH

• FRENCH FUR TRADERS

• TRADING POSTS

• St. LAWRENCE

FIRST IMMIGRANTS

1500s

• BRITISH

• PROFIT & RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

• JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA

• PROTESTANT

FIRST IMMIGRANTS

1600s – 1700s

• EAST COAST

• DUTCH – NEW YORK

• GERMAN – PENNSYLVANIA

• SWEDES – DELAWARE

• BRITISH – VIRGINIA

ALSO FROM AFRICA, FRANCE, SPAIN AND SWITZERLAND

NATIVE AMERICANS

• Major changes when Europeans arrived

• CLASH of cultures

• Reservations

Native Americans watching the arrival of Europeans

OLD IMMIGRATION

• Boomed during the 1840s and 1850s– From: NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE, ENGLAND,

SCOTLAND, IRELAND, GERMANY AND CHINA

– Reasons: POOR HARVESTS, FAMINE, POLITICAL FREEDOM, BETTER LIFE, FAMILY REUNIFICATION

– EASILY ACCEPTED INTO US:• PROTESTANS

• READ, WRITE AND SPEAK IN ENGLISH

Prior 1800: OLD IMMIGRANTS

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPEANS

• Those who arrive after 1880: NEW IMMIGRANTS– From: SOUTHERN & EASTERN EUROPE, POLAND, RUSSIA,

GRECCE, ITALY, AUSTRIA, HUNGARY

– Reasons: WORK, FAMINE, POLITICAL UNREST, BETTER LIFE

– NOT EASILY ACCEPTED INTO US:• CATHOLICS AND JEWS

• COULD NOT READ OR WRITE

• CUSTOMS, LANGUAGE AND APPEARANCE SET THEM APART

• Affected American cities

• Crowding NEW YORK and CHICAGO

• ETHNIC NEIGHBORHOODS

• Preserve language and customs

• “Chinatown”

IN AMERICA

NATIVIST SENTIMENT

• Rising immigrant populationcreates racists attitudes

• Prejudices

• Fear

• Americans pressuredcongress to act

• 1920s - QUOTA SYSTEM/RESTRICTION

Americans whohated immigrants

ASSIMILATION PROCESS

• FIRST GENERATION– OBTACLES: DISCRIMITANION AND RELUCTANCY

• SECOND GENERATION– BETTER TO IDENTIFY THEMSELF AS AMERICANS, SPOKE

MOSTLY ENGLISH AND PRACTICED FEWER ETHNIC CUSTOMS

• THIRD GENERATION– USUALLY NO LONGER ABLE TO SPEAK THEIR GRANDPARENTS’

LANGUAGE

• FOURTH/FIFTH GENERATION– INTERMARRIAGE AGAINST ETHNIC IDENTITY

RECENT IMMIGRACION

• 1920 IMMIGRATION DROPPED

• NEW ASSIMILATION PROBLEM

• NEW IMMIGRANTS:

– MEXICO, LATIN AMERICA, ASIA

– CAMBODIAN AND VIETNAM REFUGEES WHO FLED THE DESTRUCTION AND UPHEAVAL OF THE VIETNAN WAR