How did immigrants
contribute to the growth
of the United States?
Germans
Irish
Chinese
Social Studies Success
Social Studies Lesson Plan
Teacher
Standards
Date
The teacher has carefully planned for student learning as evidenced by:
What is your measurable objective?
1) Student Friendly Objective
Students will be able to identify and analyze contributions of immigrants in
the mid-1800’s.
How are you going to “hook” the students?
2) Setting the Stage
Analyze the lyrics and listen to the song “Don’t Bite the Hand That’s
Feeding You”.
What are the students going to do to master the objective?
With a partner – read and answer questions from Background Essays on
Immigration to the United States (Germans, Irish and Chinese).
3) Student Actions/Engagement
With a partner – analyze Documents A, B and C
Independently – write an essay – How did immigrants contribute to the
growth of the United States?
What are you going to do throughout the lesson to make sure the
students master the objective?
4) Teacher Actions/Instructional
Strategies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Debrief questions after hook.
Debrief questions after Background Essays.
Model how to analyze primary sources on Document A
Debrief Documents B and C with students.
Model how to write an essay with Planning Your DBQ handout.
Guide students through the writing process.
How are the students going to prove to you that they have mastered the
objective?
5) Closure/Assessment
Questions during activity – Essay at the conclusion of activity.
Social Studies Success
Texas
th
8
Grade TEKS
(11) Geography. The student understands the physical characteristics of North America and how humans adapted to and
modified the environment through the mid-19th century. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze how physical characteristics of the environment influenced population distribution, settlement patterns, and
economic activities in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries;
(B) describe the positive and negative consequences of human modification of the physical environment of the United
States; and
(C) describe how different immigrant groups interacted with the environment in the United States during the 17th, 18th,
and 19th centuries.
(12) Economics. The student understands why various sections of the United States developed different patterns of economic
activity. The student is expected to:
(C) explain the reasons for the increase in factories and urbanization;
(23) Culture. The student understands the relationships between and among people from various groups, including racial,
ethnic, and religious groups, during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The student is expected to:
(A) identify selected racial, ethnic, and religious groups that settled in the United States and explain their reasons for
immigration;
(D) analyze the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to our national identity; and
(E) identify the political, social, and economic contributions of women to American society.
(26) Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were created. The
student is expected to:
(A) describe developments in art, music, and literature that are unique to American culture such as the Hudson River
School artists, …
(B) identify examples of American art, music, and literature that reflect society in different eras; and
(27) Science, technology, and society. The student understands the impact of science and technology on the economic
development of the United States. The student is expected to:
(B) analyze the impact of transportation and communication systems on the growth, development, and urbanization of the
United States;
(D) explain how technological innovations brought about economic growth such as how the factory system contributed to
rapid industrialization and the Transcontinental Railroad led to the opening of the west.
(29) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established
research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases,
media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about the United States;
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting,
finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;
(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines,
and maps;
(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference which influenced
the participants;
(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or event;
Social Studies Success
How did immigrants contribute to the
growth of the United States?
Directions for Students:
The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. One of
the largest periods of US immigrations occurred in the mid-1800’s.
Between 1841 and 1850 over 1,713,000 immigrants came to America.
This included at least 781,000 Irish, 435,000 Germans and 100,000
Chinese immigrants. The Irish, with the Potato Famine (1845–1849)
driving them, emigrated directly from their homeland to escape
poverty and death. A failed revolution in Germany brought many
intellectuals and activists to exile in the U.S. Difficulties and poor
living conditions in Europe drove people out, while land, relatives,
freedom, opportunity, and jobs in the US lured them in. Similar
circumstances forced thousands of Chinese to the United States.
As you read the background essay and look at primary source
documents, keep the essential question in mind – How did
immigrants contribute to the growth of the United States?
It is suggested that you follow these steps:
1.
Read the Background Essay – Immigration to the US – and
answer the questions.
2. Read the information on the German, Irish and Chinese.
3. Skim through the documents to get a sense of what they
are about.
4. Read the documents slowly. Record the main idea of each
document in the margin.
5. Organize the documents into categories. The categories will
help you decide how immigrants contributed to the US.
6. Within each category, look for specific evidence to answer
the essential question. Be able to explain each opinion citing
concrete evidence.
7. Develop a summary answer to the question.
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Don’t Bite the Hand That’s Feeding You
This popular song was written in 1916 by Thomas Hoier. As with most
popular music, it reflects the attitude of Americans from it’s time period
in this case the discrimination towards immigrants that started in the 1850’s.
Last night, as I lay a sleeping,
A wonderful dream came to me.
I saw Uncle Sammy weeping
For his children from over the sea;
They had come to him, friendless and
starving,
When from tyrant's oppression they fled,
But now they abuse and revile him,
Till at last in just anger he said:
You recall the day you landed,
How I welcomed you to my shore?
When you came here empty handed,
And allegiance forever you swore?
I gathered you close to my bosom,
Of food and of clothes you got both,
So, when in trouble, I need you,
You will have to remember your oath:
If you don't like your Uncle Sammy,
If you don't like your Uncle Sammy,
Then go back to your home o'er the sea,
Then go back to your home o'er the sea,
To the land from where you came,
To the land from where you came,
Whatever be its name,
Whatever be its name,
But don't be ungrateful to me!
But don't be ungrateful to me!
If you don't like the stars in Old Glory,
If you don't like the stars in Old Glory,
If you don't like the Red, White and Blue,
If you don't like the Red, White and Blue,
Then don't act like the cur in the story,
Then don't act like the cur in the story,
Don't bite the hand that's feeding you!
Don't bite the hand that's feeding you!
You can hear the song on this link: http://www.loc.gov/item/00694050/
Song Analysis
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5.
How would you describe this song?
What is the mood of the song?
What history is revealed in the song?
What feelings and thoughts does this song trigger in you?
If you were an immigrant in America, how would this song make
you feel?
Social Studies Success
Immigration to the US
In the mid-1800s, people in many parts of the world decided to leave their
homes and immigrate to the United States. Fleeing crop failure, land and job
shortages, rising taxes, and famine, many came to the U. S. because it was
seen as the land of economic opportunity. Others came seeking personal
freedom or relief from political and religious persecution.
Immigrants entered the United States through several ports. Those from
Europe generally came through East Coast centers, while those from Asia
generally entered through the West Coast. More than 70 percent of all
immigrants entered through New York City. In the west, numerous Chinese
began to arrive in the 1850s. Many came as contract laborers to build the
western segment of the transcontinental railroad. Others came for the
California Gold Rush that had begun in 1849.
Although immigrants often
settled near ports of entry, a
large number did find their
way inland. Many states,
especially those with sparse
populations, actively sought to
attract immigrants by
offering jobs or land for
farming. Many immigrants
wanted to move to
communities established by
previous settlers from their
homelands.
Once settled, immigrants looked for work. There were never enough jobs, and
employers often took advantage of the immigrants. Men were generally paid
less than other workers, and women less than men.
The increase in immigrants led to problems as well. Nativists believed that
immigration threatened the future of “native” – American born – citizens. They
blamed immigrants for problems in American society such as crime and
disease. Often stereotyped and discriminated against, many immigrants
suffered verbal and physical abuse.
While large-scale immigration created many social tensions, it also produced
strength in the cities and states in which the immigrants settled. The
newcomers helped transform American society and culture.
STOP AND DISCUSS:
1. What were some of the reasons for immigration to the United States?
2. Why was there tension between immigrants and nativists?
3. Knowing that you would face discrimination and hardships, would you
have emigrated to the United States? Why or why not?
Social Studies Success
Immigration to the US – The Germans
In the mid-1800’s, events in Germany led to the immigration of thousands of
Germans to the United States. The majority of German immigrants settled in
the rural Midwest and Texas. They established the town of New Braunfels,
Texas, and its surrounding areas in 1845. They also moved to the Midwest
cities of Milwaukee and Chicago.
Many Germans were farmers. Others
were craftsmen such as furnituremakers, brewers, metalworkers and
engineers. Many of these craftsmen
joined the growing urban factories, to
which they introduced their craft
guild tradition. This tradition soon
evolved into trade unions, and from
there the labor union movement
emerged, reaching its peak in the late
19th and early 20th century.
Most Germans who emigrated in the
1840s and 1850s were well-educated,
particularly in comparison to the
average American. German immigrants
placed great emphasis on early public
education, which they enjoyed in their
homeland. In 1857, Margaretha Meyer
Schurz, established the first
American kindergarten in Wisconsin
Germans introduced physical
education and vocational education into the public schools, and were
responsible for the inclusion of gymnasiums in school buildings. More
important, they were leaders in the call for universal education, a notion not
common in the U.S. at the time.
German immigrants settled primarily in German neighborhoods and all-German
towns, but their cultural traditions and foods soon spread to the American
masses. Beginning in the 1850s, German holiday traditions, including the
Christmas tree, Santa Claus and even the Easter Bunny became popular in
the United States. Germans invented the American weekend. Before the
arrival of the Germans, many communities in the American colonies observed
a Puritan Sabbath, with an emphasis on rest. Germans, however, had a long
tradition of organized Sunday recreation and were enthusiastic devotees of
the Sunday outing.
STOP AND DISCUSS:
1.
2.
3.
Where did a majority Germans move to in the mid-1800’s?
How would you summarize a German immigrant?
What contributions did Germans give to the United States?
Social Studies Success
Immigration to the US – The Irish
It was the Potato Famine of 1845-1851, one of the most severe disasters in
Irish history, that started the greatest number of Irish immigrants to the
United States. The potato was the main food source for most Irish and
when disease killed the potatoes, thousands starved. From the beginning
of the famine in the mid-1840s until 1860 about 1.7 million Irish immigrated
to the United States. Single men and women came to the United States in
large numbers. By 1880 more single women than single men were
immigrants. It has been estimated that from 1820 to 1900 about four
million Irish immigrated to the United States.
The majority of Irish immigrants lived in cities such as Chicago, New
Orleans, and San Francisco. Only a small number went west to engage in
farming, however. Most Irish immigrants were indeed peasants, but few
had the money to purchase land or had sufficient skill and experience to
farm.
Textile mills also began to hire more
Irish during the influx of Famine
immigration. “No Irish Need Apply”
signs were prevalent through the
1830s, and some Irish women were
segregated when first hired in
mills. By the 1850s, textile mills
were hiring the Irish regularly
because they would work for less
money and did not make the same
demands for reasonable working
conditions that others did.
The expansion of the railroad in the mid-1800s transported thousands of
immigrants throughout the country. Irish laborers built the Brooklyn
Bridge, the Union-Pacific Railroad, and the Southern-Pacific Railroad. The
first railroad to span the entire nation was constructed almost entirely
by the Irish. The Irish also provided crucial labor in mining and the building
of canals and bridges. The Erie Canal in New York, for example, was dug
by over 5,000 Irish, and was considered the largest and most important
transportation project in the nation by its completion in 1826. Irish
Americans played a key role in the development of infrastructure of this
country, and are considered by many to be the “canal and railroad
builders of the United States.”
STOP AND DISCUSS:
1.
2.
3.
What challenges did the Irish face living in America? Why did they face these
challenges?
How is the Irish immigration experience similar and different than the
Germans?
How did the Irish contribute to the growth of the United States?
Social Studies Success
Immigration to the US – The Chinese
The first major wave of Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. after
hearing of the "Golden Mountain" or "Gum Saan" when California's Gold
Rush began in 1848. In addition to the economic stability offered in
California, civil war and famine in China forced many from their home.
Chinese workers migrated to the
United States, first to work in the
gold mines, but also to take
agricultural jobs, and factory work,
especially in the garment industry.
Along the way, in frontier
communities that sprung up, Chinese
men began selling food and doing
menial services, work traditionally
done by women in that era. Setting up
makeshift restaurants, providing care
for children, and laundering became
flourishing businesses. As the numbers
of Chinese laborers increased, so did the strength of anti-Chinese feelings
among other workers in the American economy.
The Chinese immigrants, almost 95% male, also worked on the
Transcontinental Railroad.. By agreeing to lower-paying wages than other
workers, and by enduring the rough and dangerous working conditions, they
were largely responsible for laying down the tracks for the western
railways, in one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century.
American resentment to Chinese immigration took many forms. Most
Chinese laborers who came to the United States did so in order to send
money back to China to support their families there. These financial
pressures left them little choice but to work for whatever wages they
could. Non-Chinese laborers often required much higher wages to support
their wives and children in the United States. Many Americans hated the
Chinese laborers.
STOP AND DISCUSS:
1.
2.
3.
What challenges did Chinese experience living in America? Why did they face
these challenges?
How is the Chinese immigration experience similar and different than the
Germans and Irish?
How did the Chinese contribute to the growth of the United States?
Social Studies Success
Document A
Washington Crossing the Delaware, Emanuel Leutze
Yosemite Valley, Albert Bierstadt
Source: Important German Americans: Their Contributions to the New World by G. Marquardt, August
2012
German artists would make their mark on American history during the mid 1800s by
creating art which became quintessentially "American." Emanuel Leutze was born in
Germany and was brought to America as a child. An avid supporter of Germany’s
Revolution of 1848, Leutze decided to paint an iconic and patriotic image to encourage
Europeans to embrace American ideals of liberty. Another famous painter who
contributed to America’s identity is Albert Bierstadt. He is most famous for his
paintings of the American West. Bierstadt came to the U.S. in 1832 as a child with his
family. Painting mostly landscapes, Bierstadt traveled throughout the United States,
especially through the unchartered west. This style of painting, the "Hudson River
School" was inspired by the scenery of the Hudson river valley which was painted to
inspire awe and positive feelings for the exploration and settlement of the country.
Source: Meusebach-Comanche Treaty Between the Comanche and the German Immigration
Company, Texas, May 9, 1847
I. The German people and Colonists for the Grant between the waters of the
Llano and the San Saba shall be allowed to visit any part of said country, and
be protected by the Comanche Nation and the Chiefs thereof, in Consideration
of which agreement the Comanche may likewise come to the German colonies
towns and settlements, and shall have no cause to fear, but shall go wherever
they please – if not counselled otherwise by the especial agent of our great
father – and have protection, as long as they walk in the white path.
Document Analysis
1.
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3.
Note: This treaty is one of the few pacts with
Native Americans that was never broken.
Describe what you see in the paintings. What details in the paintings do you
consider important? Why do you think these were painted
How does the peace treaty reflect German culture?
How do these sources show immigrant contributions to the growth of the
United States?
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Document B
Irish Immigrants 1840s
Process of Excavation - Lockport
"so many die that there is hardly any time to give Extreme Unction to
everybody. We run night and day to assist the sick.“
- Father John Raho, Irish community on the canal
When I came to this wonderful empire,
It filled me with the greatest surprise
To see such a great undertaking,
On the like I’ve never opened my eyes.
To see a full thousand brave fellows
At work among mountains so tall
To dig through the valleys so level,
Through rocks for to cut a canal.
-Paddy’s Song
Ten Thousand Micks
They Swing Their Picks
to Dig the New Canal
But the Choleray
Was Stronger 'n They
And Twice it Killed 'em All.“
-Irish Rhyme From the 1830's
Document Analysis
1.
2.
3.
Describe what you see in the pictures. What details do you consider
important?
What are the similarities between the song and rhyme?
How do these documents reflect immigrant contributions to the growth of
the United States?
Social Studies Success
Document C
Across the continent: the Frank Leslie
transcontinental excursion...
Creator/Contributor:
Baker, Horace (1833-1918)]
Date: 1878
Across the continent, the snow sheds on the
Central Pacific Railroad, in the Sierra Nevada
Mountains
Creator/Contributor:
Becker, Joseph (1841-1910)
The cars now (1867) run nearly to the summit of the Sierras. ... four thousand
laborers were at work—one-tenth Irish, the rest Chinese. They were a great army
laying siege to Nature in her strongest citadel. The rugged mountains looked like
stupendous ant-hills. They swarmed with Celestials, shoveling, wheeling, carting,
drilling and blasting rocks and earth, while their dull, moony eyes stared out from
under immense basket-hats, like umbrellas. At several dining camps we saw
hundreds sitting on the ground, eating soft boiled rice with chopsticks as fast as
terrestrials could with soup-ladles. Irish laborers received thirty dollars per month
(gold) and board; Chinese, thirty-one dollars, boarding themselves. After a little
experience the latter were quite as efficient and far less troublesome. —Beyond the
Mississippi by Albert D. Richardson
"Wherever we put them, we found them good, and they worked themselves into our
favor to such an extent that if we found we were in a hurry for a job of work, it was
better to put Chinese on at once." —Charles Crocker
"Chinese are faithful and industrious and, under proper supervision, some become
skillful in the performance of their duty. Many of them are becoming very expert in
drilling, blasting and other departments of rock work" – S. S. Montague, Chief
Engineer, CPRR annual report, 1865
Document Analysis
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2.
3.
Describe what you see in the pictures. What details do you consider important?
What can you infer about the Chinese experience in California? What evidence
supports your answer?
How do these documents reflect immigrant contributions to the growth of the
United States?
Social Studies Success
Planning Your DBQ
Creating Categories
Look at the documents and your background essay. Are
there 3 different categories you can sort the information
into?
Category 1Category 2Category 3-
Developing your Thesis
Your thesis will help you plan and organize your essay. Your
thesis needs to restate the question (How did immigrants
contribute to the growth of the United States?) into an
opinion. You will also need to reference your 3 categories.
Thesis Statement:
Social Studies Success
Planning Your DBQ
Essay Outline
What are you going to title your essay?
Paragraph 1 –
Attention Grabber-
Your thesis and reasonsParagraph 2Thesis from first categoryEvidence: supporting details from with documents with document
citation
Argument: connect evidence to the background essay and thesis
Paragraph 3Thesis from second categoryEvidence: supporting details from with documents with document
citation
Argument: connect evidence to the background essay and thesis
Paragraph 4Thesis from third categoryEvidence: supporting details from with documents with document
citation
Argument: connect evidence to the background essay and thesis
Paragraph 5Conclusion – Restate main idea and end it with style!
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