Explain why the USA restricted immigration in the
early 20th century
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe how the USA restricted immigration in
the early 20th century.
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the impact of Jim Crow laws on Black
Americans
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the activities of the KKK
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Explain why the USA restricted immigration in the early 20th century
1. Racism—new immigrants coming from Eastern and Southern Europe. WASPs believed they were inferior and a threat to the American Way.
Encouraged by nativism groups who argued science proved these new immigrants were inferior.
2. Religion—Alarmed by arrival of Catholics and Judaism to Protestant America
3. Political Fear– Many came from communist Russia. This led to a fear they would start a communist revolution, known as the red scare, especially
since a wave of strikes in 1919. ( steel)
4. Believed stealing jobs—as arrived poor and would work longer hours for lower wages.
5. Took away power from Americans to strike for better wages as jobs could be easily filled by new immigrants who would accept low pay.
6. No Melting Pot—many new immigrants kept their language, dress and customs. Little Italy and Little Russia sprung up. Concern that they were
not integrating and becoming American.
7. Huge numbers. By 1919 1 million arriving each year. In cities the population could be 40% new immigrants. Feeling swamped.
8. Belief that new immigrants were involved with crime. Especially due to arrival of Mafia from Sicily and involvement of new immigrants in
prohibition.
9. New immigrants stayed in poorest inner cities like New York and arrival put pressure on already scarce housing.
Describe how the USA restricted immigration in the early 20th century.
1917 Immigration Act
1. Entry increased to $8 a head for adults to restrict poorer immigrants.
2. No insane, imbeciles, professional beggars or people with TB.
3. Literacy tests– immigrants had to be able to read English or Yiddish.
4. Almost entirely banned immigration from Asia.
1921 Emergency Quota Act
1. Allowed only 3% of each nationality based on the % of that nationality in the 1910 census. To favour N and W Europeans.
2. Restricted immigration to 375,000 per year.
1924 Immigration Act
1. Reduced immigration to 150,000 per year.
2. Allowed only 2% of each nationality based on the % of that nationality in the 1890 census. Further discriminated against S and E Europe as not as
many of these nationalities were in the USA in 1890.
Describe the impact of Jim Crow laws on Black Americans—Southern States!
1.
Created a segregated society, splitting Blacks and Whites. Meant to keep control of Blacks and prevent them gaining equal rights.
2.
Black and White children went to separate schools. Poor education—resulted in poorly paid unskilled work.
3.
Blacks + Whites had separate seats on public transport. If the White area was full Blacks had to give up their seats.
4.
Jim Crow etiquette—’Sir’ ‘Ma’am’ get off pavement.
5.
Restricted from registering to vote. Literacy tests or grandfather clause.
6.
Marriage between Blacks and Whites was banned in some states.
7.
Black hairdressers were not allowed to cut the hair of White people.
8.
Made Black people feel inferior and as second class citizens.
9.
Supreme Court ordered that facilities were supposed to be separate but equal but Black facilities were always poorer.
10.
Trapped in poor housing as segregated and also too poor for better due to poor education .
Describe the activities of the KKK
Aimed to control Black people and prevent them from gaining equality by using violence and terror.
Lynching— Decide a black person was guilty of an ’alleged’ crime and needed to be punished. This might be by hanging, whipping, castration or
burning alive. Sometimes known as ‘Rope Law’. Most often witnessed by a crowd of White onlookers. Illegal.
Burnt large crosses near victims to intimidate and let them know the Klan was near. If the Black person did not back down further harsher action
would be taken.
Large marches e.g. in Washington 20,000 Klansmen marched in 1923 in Washington. Large banners with menacing slogans against Blacks.
Bribed witnesses and juries to ensure the KKK members were not found guilty of crimes.
Wore long white hooded robes to conceal identity and to pretend to be ghosts of civil war soldiers to frighten poorly educated superstitious Black
people.
Targeted other groups they saw as a threat to the American Way of life such as new immigrants and divorced women or Catholics.
Intimidate Black people who tried to vote by hanging around voting booths and beating up or murder Blacks who tried to vote.
Enforced Jim Crow laws
Explain why many people emigrated to the USA in
the early 20th century?
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the arrival process of new immigrants in
the USA
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the living conditions of new immigrants
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Explain the difficulties facing new immigrants
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Explain why many people emigrated to the USA in the early 20th century?
Pull—Rights and Freedoms
Religious freedom. Jews persecuted in Poland and Russia
Political freedom, in America able to vote to and not persecuted for criticising the government as in communist Russia after revolution 1917.
Pull—Better quality of life—Open door policy attracted many.
Opportunity to find work in growing factories which needed cheap unskilled workers. Could earn a good salary and bring up family. E.g. Henry Ford
paid good wages. $5 a day for some workers
Good education facilities e.g. Harvard . Help achieve American dream by hard work.
American Dream—anyone in America can achieve success through hard work. Opportunity for all.
Opportunity to own farm land which unable to at home.
Push
Escape Poverty. E.g. starvation in especially S Italy. In Russia peasants had to pay high taxes or were punished.
After 1918 escape war torn countries in E Europe
Describe the arrival process of new immigrants in the USA
See the Statue of Liberty holding torch of freedom as approached the USA, symbol of US safety. Often started to cry when saw it.
Arrive at Ellis Island for processing before being allowed to enter the USA.
Immigrants had to stay on crowded ships until they were processed.
Each given a number and taken in groups of 30 to be processed.
This involved literacy test to make sure they could speak English or Yiddish. Compulsory after 1917.
After 1917 immigrants had to pay a $8 entry fee.
Immigrants were inspected to make sure they were not unwell or bringing infectious diseases.
Immigrants with a circle and a cross in it were said to be ‘feeble minded’ and would be sent home. H meant heart disease
Immigrants were asked for proof that they were coming to work.
If immigrants passed all these things they were given a landing card allowing them to be a new American, and catch ferry to NY.
Describe the living conditions of new immigrants
Settled in inner cities like New York, Chicago, Boston.
Lived in poor areas as arrived poor and often worked for low wages.
Living in slum tenements, 5 or 6 storeys high.
Tenements were honeycombed with rooms.
Slum tenements lacked light, often being build close together and proper sanitation.
Many people would live in one room.
Disease spread easily due to overcrowding and poor sanitary facilities. Low life expectancy.
Poor people lived in slum tenements and there were high crime rates.
New immigrants would settle with other immigrants of the same nationality.
As more immigrants arrived the pressure on housing increased and conditions became worse. NY had worse slums as 1st city new
immigrants arrived in.
Explain the difficulties facing new immigrants
Discrimination—names such as spicks. Racist attacks on homes and churches. Henry Ford not employ Jewish people.
Unfair trials—found guilty because of discrimination over ethnicity rather than proof. E.g. Sacco and Vanzeti found guilty as Italian
anarchists even though had proof did not commit crime.
Faced hostility from Americans—accused of being strike breakers and lowering wages, as would work for low wages.
Hostility from Americans angry that they kept own traditions, lived in areas with others immigrants such as Little Italy and not seen
to be following melting pot principle.
Racism—believe that new immigrants from S and E Europe were inferior to WASPs.
100% Nativism groups and KKK made life difficult for new immigrants who called them ‘ Un American’
Poor living conditions—see other card
Arrived poor, mainly illiterate so had to accept lowest paid jobs.
Blamed for crime e.g Mafia from Italy / Al Capone and putting pressure on scarce cheap housing.
Describe the economic status of ethnic groups in
early 20th century
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the political status of ethnic groups in
early 20th century
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the social status of ethnic groups in early
20th century
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the impact of America’s open door policy
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the economic status of ethnic groups in early 20th century
Whites
Many were very wealthy. Inherited wealth from ancestors who arrived in 19th century with skills and education. E.g. Henry Ford.
New immigrants
Many arrived illiterate, unskilled and did low paid work in growing industrial factories.
Blacks
Poorly educated and discrimination meant low paid unskilled work in north and south.
Sharecropping, working with white plantation owners, remained indebted and poor. Never able to work off debt for seed and equipment.
Economic success within the Black community only. E.g. Tulsa Oklahoma had lots of black owned businesses, known as the Black
Wall Street.
Whites
Nearly all congressmen and statesmen were White WASPs.
Used this position to ensure that Black people were unable to gain political power to improve their conditions.
Irish descendants became politically powerful. The Tammany Hall organisation helped poor Irish find jobs and won their support.
New immigrants
Unable to vote when arrived. No political power.
Many came from countries without political freedom so lacked knowledge about how political system worked.
After naturalisation, able to vote . Wasp politicians had to work to earn their vote which sometimes brought benefits in living standards.
Joined trade unions which gave them political power.
Blacks—Very little political power
In 1870 all men able to vote. In Southern states laws passed to prevent Black people registering to vote e.g. Literacy/Poll Tax/ Soap
Easier to vote in north than south.
Those who were able to register were beaten up or intimidated when they went to polls.
Describe the social status of ethnic groups in early 20th century
Whites
Considered the most important and superior people.
New immigrants
Faced violent attacks and discrimination due to origin and religion..
Blacks
2nd class citizens.
Jim Crow kept them apart from whites which gave impression they were inferior.
Facilities were not separate and equal. Poorer facilities for blacks reinforced their lack of status.
Jim Crow etiquette—Blacks had to get off pavement, not look a white person in the eye, call them sir/ma’am.
Blacks were lynched but nothing done to stop it shows how they were not considered as equal.
In northern states in Harlem NY their was pride in Black culture, music and Jazz.
Describe the impact of America’s open door policy
1. Immigrants arrived in huge numbers 1 million every year by 1914. Businessmen keen to have cheap workers.
2. Increase in immigrants from Eastern Europe such as Russia and Poland, also Southern Europe such as Italy.
3. Cities experienced most change—with around 40% of population being new immigrants.
4. Led to calls to restrict immigration.
5. Led to growth of racist organisations such as KKK and 100% American who called for immigration restrictions.
6. Led to tension between WASPS and new immigrants. New immigrants blamed for crime/ cutting wages/ pressure on housing.
7. Led to cutting immigration and targeting immigrants from S and E Europe.
8. 1917 Immigration Act allowed only 3% of each nationality based on the amount of that nationality in the USA in 1910 census.
9. 1924 Immigration Act allowed only 2% of each nationality based on the amount of that nationality in the USA in 1890 census.
Explain why the KKK was so powerful
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Explain why Blacks migrated to the North in the
early 20th century
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the experience of Blacks in northern
states
CDHS N5 History 2013-14 version 1
Describe the race riots in the northern states in the
1917-1920s
CDHS N5 History 2013-14version 1
Explain why the KKK was so powerful
Size
5 million in 1920s, as unemployment and poverty turned many Americans to support the KKK.
Membership
Police membership—although the Klan was illegal , police often accompanied lynching or handed victims to the Klan. Blacks had no support from
the law.
Judges were often members of the Klan so those accused of crimes were let off.
Juries and witnesses were bribed by the Klan to give false accounts so that the KKK were not punished for their actions.
Politics
The government not want to lose votes from southern voters by standing up for Black rights and stopping the KKK.
Many politicians were also members of the Klan, it was able to hold a march in Washington in 1920s next to the US government building.
In many states candidates for office had to be approved by the Klan. Nobody in favour of Black rights could be elected.
Black people had tests which made it hard for them to vote, so unable to elect people which could change and stop the KKK.
Explain why Blacks migrated to the North in the early 20th century
Pushed from South—belief life would be better—less discrimination
KKK—expand
Jim Crow laws—expand
Lack of voting rights—Expand
Share-cropping—kept them in poverty.
Boll Weevil—destroying crops in 1914 causing poverty by ravaging cotton field and ruining cotton farmers. Escape this poverty.
Mississippi flooded—leaving farmland useless and many African Americans homeless with no crops. Head north to escape.
Pulled to north by
Lure of jobs in growing industrial factories which needed cheap labour. Especially during WW1 and after 1917 when America shut
open door immigration policy resulted in less new immigrants arriving to do the unskilled work.
Employers actively sought Black people in southern states. Black women worked more as domestics than in industry .
Describe the experience of Blacks in northern states
Poor whites in north saw Blacks as unwelcome competition for jobs. Black workers paid less than Whites, so seen as a threat to job security.
Bosses sometimes used Blacks as strike breakers.
Seen as uneducated and unskilled ( poor education in south) - making it harder to get a well paid job = poor.
Racism. Even though north had fought against slavery they discrimination against Blacks.
Whites felt they were superior to the Blacks who recently had been slaves.
Their skin colour made it hard for them to fit in and they were easy to discriminate against.
Housing in the north – segregated and divided by ‘unwritten’ laws. These became ghettos—poor slums. Blacks were not allowed links with White
communities and were often attacked if they tried.
The division of areas and schools between Whites and Black made Blacks feel inferior.
Yet better than the south! By 1920s some blacks were able to prosper BUT in their own communities e.g. Tulsa Oklahoma. 100s of black businesses.
The Black Wall Street.
Describe the race riots in the northern states in the 1917-1920s
Tulsa Riot 1921
Black man accused of raping a White woman.
KKK and White racist group organised a racists attacks.
Whites stormed into black community in Tulsa.
The police helped.
In 12 hours the Black business district was completely destroyed
600 businesses destroyed. 21 churches, several schools and libraries.
This would be a short term reason if asked about
why there were riots. The long term reasons would
be the racial tensions between blacks and whites in
the North. Why were the Blacks unhappy with their
treatment? Why did the Whites not like the Blacks?
7.3000 Black Americans livelihoods destroyed.
Chicago 1919. After a black boy was killed swimming by a stone thrown by a white man, mobs ran through the streets burning, looting and killing. Over 138 people were killed and hundreds more were injured. The army had to be brought in to end the trouble.