Date
Class
lmmigrants and Urban Life
Sedion I
MAIN IDEAS
l.
U.S. immigration patterns changed during
the late
ISOOS as
new immigrants
arrived from Europe, Asia, and Mexico.
2. tmmigrants worked hard to adjust to life in the United States.
5. Some Americans opposed imrnigration and worked to restrict it.
Key Terms and People
old immigrants people who arrived from northern Europe in the mid-1800s
new immigrants people who arrived from southern and eastern Europe in the late
1800s
steerage an area below a ship's deck where immigrants often traveled
benevolent societies organizations that offered help to immigrant families
tenements poorly built, overcrowded apartment buildings
sweatshops workplaces in small shops with poor working conditions and low pay
Chinese Exclusion
years
Act iaw in 1880 banning immigration by Chinese people for ten
Academic Vocabulary
advocate to plead in favor of
Section Summary
CHANGING PAfTERNS OF IMMIGRATION
During the mid-1800s, millions of immigrants
came to the United States from northern Europe.
Many of these old immigrants were skilled workers
or farmers. Most were Protestants. Later, many new
immigrants came from different places, including
southern and eastern Europe. These immigrants
came from many different cultures and reiigions.
Immigrants usually faced a difficult journey by
ship to America, often travelling in steerage. Then
they faced the chalienge of actually getting into
the United States. Many European immigrants
entered at Ellis Island in NewYork Harbor. On the
West Coast, many Chinese immigrants entered the
United States through Angel lsland near
Cop)'right
@
Wlrere did most of
ganb come fron?
fte nmr immi-
Underline two maior poina of
enty for imm[ranb to the United
States in the late 1800r.
by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Ali rights reserved.
L67
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Name
Class
Date
Section 1, continued
San Francisco. In the Soutiwest, Mexican
immi-
grants came to the United States through El paso,
Texas.
AD'USTING TO A NEW LIFE
After entering the United States, immigrants hail
to adjust to life in a different country. They had to
learn new customs and a ne* language. Many of
them moved into neighborhoods with other people
from the same country. Immigrant neighborhoods
often had schools, clubs, newspapers, shops, and
banks. These helped people start their new lives.
Benevolent societies helped families in case of sickness, unemployment, or death.
Many new immigrants came from rural areas.
They lacked the skills to work in modern manufac-
Ittlhy did many immigranb have to
take low paying iobs in
sweabhops?
turing or industrial work. As a result, many of them
had to take low-paying unskilled manufacturing
jobs in large factories and sweatshops. Their lowpaylng jobs often forced them to live in tenements.
OPPOSITION TO IMMrcRllNON
Some Americans welcomed new immigrants.
Others feared that immigrants would take away jobs
from native-born Americans. Nativists believed that
too many immigrants were being allowed into the
country. This led to a growth in anti-immigrant
feelings in the late 1800s.
Some people advocated laws to
limit immigra-
tion. Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act,
which banned immigration from China for ten
years. A iater law restricted convicts, people who
had certain diseases, and those likely to need public
assistance. Immigrants continued to arrive in large
numbers and worked to achieve their dreams.
UUhat was
the purpose ol the
Chinese [xclusion Act?
CHATLENGE ACTIVITY
critical Thinking: write to lnfluence write a letrer ro the editor of a
newspaper in the late 1880s. Explain why you think there should or
should not be limits on the number of immigrants to the united states.
O by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Al1 rights reserved.
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