American Democracy in Word and Deed
MDUSD/UCB H-SSP
8th Grade Lesson: “Immigration & Industrialization in the North”
Developed by: Cathleen Foster, Will Gregory, Sarah Nice
Teaching American History Grant Focus Question:
How have the words and deeds of people and institutions shaped democracy in the U.S.?
8th Grade Year-long Focus Questions:
2006-2010 Grant Questions:
- How did federalism shape the roles of the national and state governments?
- How did the rights of citizens expand and contract during the 18th and 19th centuries?
Unit 6, Chapters 17-20
A Growing America
Unit 6 Focus Question:
As the nation continued to move westward and embarked on the second Industrial Revolution, how did the
United States manage the social, political, and economic changes?
or
How did the winning of the Spanish-American War lead to the United States acquiring several new territories
and becoming recognized as an influential and leading international nation?
Unit 6 Working Thesis:
The continuing westward movement, the rise in urban growth and the new technological advances led the
United States to evolve its social, political, and economical structures as they were developing as an
internationally recognized leader.
Lesson Focus Question:
How did immigration affect society in the North in the 19th century?
Lesson Working Thesis:
In times of economic downturn, anti-immigrant sentiments increase.
Reading and Writing Strategy/ies:
 READING Strategy:
o “Reading” and analyzing a visual source (political cartoon, art, image, map, chart, graph)

WRITING Strategy: Various paragraph outlines, working with writing components (Thesis, Evidence,
Analysis), etc
o No writing strategy in this lesson
Lesson Assessment:
How will you gauge that students are learning the content or skills? Is there a written assessment you will use?
Please write a short description that explains how you will assess student learning.
We will assess student learning by the completion of the graphic organizers
Suggested Amount of Time:
1-2 days
Textbook:
 Deverell, William and White, Deborah Gray. United States History: Independence to 1914. Orlando, Florida:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston., 2006, Chapter 18: “An Industrial Nation,” pp588Primary Source Citation:
 “American Platform of Principles,” The True American’s Almanac and Politician’s Manual for 1857. ed.
Tisdale. New York, 1857.
 Political Cartoon for the Know Nothing Party, 1854. Source: Private collection, Peter Newark American
Pictures, Bridgeman Art Library
 Emigration: The Anti-Chinese wall. The American wall goes up as the Chinese original goes down. Cartoon,
1882. Source: Puck Magazine
Context of the lesson in the unit (and its connection to American Democracy in Word and Deed):
This lesson is designed to either be incorporated in chapter 13 or 18 or both. OR…this could go with a
thematic unit on immigration
Lesson Procedure:
1. Present students with the unit focus question: How did economic downturns affect attitudes towards
immigration in the 19th Century? Pass out the Real GDP Per Capita worksheet. Have students circle GDP in
the title and write down that this means “gross domestic product”. If students have not let learned what GDP
is, explain to them that GDP helps people understand the health of the economy. It is the total dollar value of
all goods and services produced by a country. When it is higher, the economy is doing well; when it is lower,
the economy is not doing well.
2. Ask a student to read “What is Real GDP Per Capita?” and the corresponding answer at the top of the
worksheet. You may want to further explain this concept depending on your students. For example, you might
want to say: “Real GDP Per Capita takes a country’s GDP and divides it equally amongst the number of
people in a country.”
3. Tell students that they will be graphing GDP Per Capita to see where the economy started doing poorly.
Demonstrate how to graph the data for 1855. Allow students to work on their own and finish graphing the
data.
4. Students can then work in groups to answer the questions. Review the answers to the questions. By question
#5 students are hypothesizing how a bad economy will afffect attitudes towards immigration. Discuss these
answers and tell them that they will be looking at a primary source written by a party that is against
immigration.
5. Read primary source expert
6. Model with students how they should complete the Analyzing a Primary Source Worksheet. Fill out the who
and when/where as a class. Read the source as a class. For each excerpt, paraphrase what it means (you may
have students volunteer to do this) and complete the rest of the chart.
7. Pass out a copy of the political cartoons to each student. You may also want to project a larger copy onto a
screen, if possible. Complete the How to Analyze a Political Cartoon worksheet as a class. Fill out the
title/author/context information as a class. Have students point out different parts of the cartoon and tell you
what they think it represents. Complete the chart together.
8. Repeat the process in step #7 for the second cartoon. Even if your class has not yet reached the Chinese
Exclusion Act, this is a great preview of what is to come in the future. You may want to start by asking the
class what “exclude” means, or what it means when you are told that you are excluding people. From this,
students will be able to hypothesize what happens with the Chinese Exclusion Act. Complete the chart and
review what the message/main argument of the cartoon is.
9. At your discretion, discuss real per capita GDP year sets to link/connect to the current economic environment.
This information is attached as “Optional Materials”
History-Social Science Content Standards:
8.6.3 List the reasons for the wave of immigration from Northern Europe to the United States and describe the
growth in the number, size, and spatial arrangements of cities (e.g., Irish immigrants and the Great Irish
Famine).
8.12.7 Identify the new sources of large-scale immigration and the contributions of immigrants to the building of
cities and the economy; explain the ways in which new social and economic patterns encouraged assimilation
of newcomers into the mainstream amidst growing cultural diversity; and discuss the new wave of nativism.
Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills:
Students understand and distinguish cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in historical events, including the longand short-term causal relations.
Students interpret basic indicators of economic performance and conduct cost-benefit analyses of economic and
political issues.
Common Core Standards
Reading standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies Grades 6-8
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
Craft and Structure
6. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g. loaded language, inclusion or
avoidance of particular facts)
Integration of Knowledge and Idea
7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print
and digital texts.
Name:________________________
Real GDP Per Capita
What is Real GDP Per Capita?
Real GDP Per Capita is each person’s share of the national income adjusted for inflation.
1. Graph the data from the table below onto the chart.
Year
GDP Per Capita
1855
$2,512.80
1856
$2,543.06
1857
$2,486.22
1858
$2,520.57
1859
$2,640.56
1860
$2,605.51
2. In which year(s) did the GDP Per Capita drop?
3. Using the first decline/drop, what was the difference (in dollars) from the previous year?
4. How many years did it take to reach the GDP Per Capita level it was at before the decline?
5. How might the economy affect attitudes towards immigration?
Teacher Key
Real GDP Per Capita
What is Real GDP Per Capita?
Read GDP Per Capita is each person’s share of the national income adjusted for inflation.
1. Graph the data from the table below onto the chart.
Year
GDP Per Capita
1855
$2,512.80
1856
$2,543.06
1857
$2,486.22
1858
$2,520.57
1859
$2,640.56
1860
$2,605.51
Teacher Key
2. In which year(s) did the GDP Per Capita drop?
It dropped in 1857 and 1860
3. Using the first decline/drop, what was the difference (in dollars) from the previous year?
It dropped $56.84
4. How many years did it take to reach the GDP Per Capita level it was at before the decline?
It took two years (until 1859)
5. How might the economy affect attitudes towards immigration?
When the economy is declining there are negative feelings toward immigrants. Ex: The rise of the KnowNothing Party.
Primary Source Excerpt: The True American’s Almanac:
Platform of Principles
American Platform of Principles
Adopted at Philadelphia, Thursday, February 21, 1856.
3. Americans must rule America, and to this end native-born citizens should be selected for all State,
Federal, and municipal1 offices of government employment, in preference to all other…
5. No persons should be selected for political station (whether of native or foreign birth), who recognizes
any allegiance or obligation of any description to any foreign prince, potentate2 or power, or who refuses to
recognize the Federal and State Constitution (each within its sphere) as paramount to all other laws, as
rules of political action…
9. A change in the laws of naturalization3, making a continued residence of twenty-one years, of all not
heretofore provided for, an indispensable requisite4 for citizenship hereafter, and excluding all paupers5,
and persons convicted of crime from landing upon our shores; but no interference with the vested rights of
foreigners.
“American Platform of Principles,” The True American’s Almanac and Politician’s Manual for 1857. ed. Tisdale. New York,
1857.
1
city
Person of great power or authority
3
The process for becoming a citizen
4
Mandatory requirement
5
A very poor person
2
Name:______________________
ANALYZING A PRIMARY SOURCE -- STUDENT VERSION
Focus Question: How did economic downturns affect attitudes towards immigration in the 19th Century?
Title of Source: _____________________________________ Author: ____________________ Genre (letter, cartoon, photo?): _________________
WHO
Author: Background, sex, race, social class, education;
What is his/her perspective?
WHEN & WHERE
Place and Time: Where and When was it published?
Historical Context: What was going on during this event or era/period?
Audience: Who is the intended audience?
OBSERVATIONS
DESCRIPTION OF SOURCE
Evidence of..
Specific Quotes
MEANING
What the objects, words, etc. mean
MESSAGE/ARGUMENT
The author is trying to tell me…
IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA
Looking at your observations of the primary source, what is the main idea or message of the source?
QUESTIONS
I wonder…
My reaction to the source
is…
Name________________
P.________ Date____________
ANALYZING A PRIMARY SOURCE
-- TEACHER KEY
Focus Question: How did economic downturns affect attitudes towards immigration in the 19th Century?
Title of Source: American Platform of Principles Author: Members of the nativist American Party Genre (letter, cartoon, photo?): political party
platform
WHO
Author: Members of the nativist political party known as
the American Party, Native American Party or the “KnowNothing” Party
Audience: Members of the American Party, other
nativists, prospective voters, the American public, etc.
WHEN & WHERE
Place and Time: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 21, 1856
Historical Context: Westward Expansion, Large-scale German and Irish
Immigration, Industrial Revolution, economic downturn, anti-immigrant sentiment,
lead up to Civil War
OBSERVATIONS
DESCRIPTION OF SOURCE
Evidence of..
Specific Quotes
MEANING
What the objects, words, etc.
mean
MESSAGE/ARGUMENT
The author is trying to tell me…
“Americans must rule America”
“native-born citizens should be selected for all State,
Federal, and municipal offices”
Only people born in
America should rule and
hold power
Immigrants should not have a
say
“No persons should be selected… who recognizes any
allegiance… to any foreign prince, potentate or
power…”
You can’t be selected and be You must be loyal only to the
loyal to a foreign ruler or
U.S., not another country or
power
power (e.g. the Pope) – AntiCatholic
You have to live in the U.S.
for 21 years to become a
They are not fans of the Irish
citizen and you can’t be
(paupers), and it will be really
poor or a convict
tough to become a citizen
QUESTIONS
I wonder…
My reaction to the source
is…
Reminds me of
Arizona law on
illegal immigration
Worries about JFK as
president, or even
Mitt Romney
“making a continued residence of twenty-one years… an
indispensable requisite for citizenship… and excluding
21 years is 8 years
all paupers, and persons convicted of crime from landing
beyond the average
upon our shores.”
8th graders life!
IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA
Looking at your observations of the primary source, what is the main idea or message of the source?
I think that the American Party was trying to show their anti-immigrant stance in their party platform from 1856 by making it more difficult for
immigrants to hold political power and become citizens.
Political Cartoon Analysis
Political Cartoon for the Know Nothing Party, 1854.
Source: Private collection, Peter Newark American Pictures, Bridgeman Art Library
Original caption: Emigration: The Anti-Chinese wall. The American wall goes up as the Chinese
original goes down. Cartoon, 1882.
Source: Puck Magazine
NAME: ______________________________
ANALYZING A POLITICAL CARTOON
FOCUS QUESTION: How did economic downturns affect attitudes towards immigration in the 19th Century?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
TITLE OF CARTOON: _____________________________________ AUTHOR/PUBLISHER: __________________________
PLACE AND TIME: Where and when was it published? Background information of the publication.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: What was going on during this event or era/period?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
OBSERVATIONS
DESCRIPTION OF THE CARTOON
What I see… What objects, symbols, captions, people are
portrayed in the cartoon? Be specific!
MEANING
What do the objects, people, words,
etc. symbolize or represent?
QUESTIONS/REACTION
I wonder… My reaction to the
cartoon is…
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
MESSAGE/ARGUMENT: What
is the cartoonists’ point of
view about this topic or issue?
Teacher Key
NAME: ______________________________
ANALYZING A POLITICAL CARTOON
FOCUS QUESTION: How did economic downturns affect attitudes towards immigration in the 19th Century?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
TITLE OF CARTOON: Political Cartoon for the Know Nothing Party, 1854. AUTHOR/PUBLISHER: Private collection, Peter Newark
American Pictures, Bridgeman Art Library
PLACE AND TIME: Where and when was it published? Background information of the publication. America, 1854
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: What was going on during this event or era/period? Know Nothing Party established 1849. They have
growing political power. There is nativist sentiment. Economic decline in 1857.
OBSERVATIONS
DESCRIPTION OF THE CARTOON
What I see… What objects, symbols, captions, people are
portrayed in the cartoon? Be specific!
X Symbolism
A man wearing a barrel that says “Irish
 Exaggeration
Whiskey”. He is wearing stereotypically Irish
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
clothing – leprechaun hat and shoes.
 Irony
Another man wearing a barrel that says “Lager
Bier”. He looks stereotypically German – beard
and lederhosen.
X Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
MEANING
What do the objects, people, words,
etc. symbolize or represent?
The Irish are stereotypically presented
as alcoholics. As immigrants, they were
discriminated against because of their
religious differences.
The German are stereotypically always
drinking beer.
Two men stealing a ballot box.
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
The men have dressed up in costume in
order to steal the ballot box (and thus
influence the results of the election).
A rioting crowd in the background.
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
The Irish and German either cause or
take advantage of chaos to steal the
election.
QUESTIONS/REACTION
I wonder… My reaction to the
cartoon is…
Answers will vary. May
include:
Why are the people rioting in
the background?
Why would the Irish and
German want to steal an
election?
MESSAGE/ARGUMENT: What
is the cartoonists’ point of
view about this topic or issue?
The cartoonist thinks that the
Irish and German are
conspiring together to steal
elections.
NAME: ______________________________
ANALYZING A POLITICAL CARTOON
FOCUS QUESTION: How did economic downturns affect attitudes towards immigration in the 19th Century?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
TITLE OF CARTOON:________________________________ AUTHOR/PUBLISHER: _______________________________________
PLACE AND TIME: Where and when was it published? Background information of the publication. ________________________
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: What was going on during this event or era/period? __________________________________________
OBSERVATIONS
DESCRIPTION OF THE CARTOON
What I see… What objects, symbols, captions, people are
portrayed in the cartoon? Be specific!
MEANING
What do the objects, people, words,
etc. symbolize or represent?
QUESTIONS/REACTION
I wonder… My reaction to the
cartoon is…
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
MESSAGE/ARGUMENT: What
is the cartoonists’ point of
view about this topic or issue?
Teacher Key
NAME: ______________________________
ANALYZING A POLITICAL CARTOON
FOCUS QUESTION: How did economic downturns affect attitudes towards immigration in the 19th Century?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
TITLE OF CARTOON: Emigration: The Anti-Chinese wall. The American wall goes up as the Chinese original goes down.
AUTHOR/PUBLISHER: Puck Magazine
PLACE AND TIME: Where and when was it published? Background information of the publication. 1882
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: What was going on during this event or era/period? The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882, after an
earlier attempt was vetoed by President Hayes in 1879.
OBSERVATIONS
DESCRIPTION OF THE CARTOON
What I see… What objects, symbols, captions, people are
portrayed in the cartoon? Be specific!
 Symbolism
A line of men bringing bricks to build a wall.
X Exaggeration
Then men are all caricatures – Irish, African Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
American, Jewish, and others are represented.
X Irony
MEANING
What do the objects, people, words,
etc. symbolize or represent?
Former groups of immigrants (who have
been discriminated against) have
become Americanized and are now
working together to exclude the
Chinese.
These are the reasons why people
discriminated against immigrants. The
Chinese are just the latest group.
The bricks have different words on them – Fear,
Non-Reciprocity, Un-American, Law Against Race,
Jealousy, Competition, etc.
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
X Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
X Irony
An older man with a beard putting down the
mortar to assemble the wall.
X Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
 Irony
The man represents “Uncle Sam” or the
United States.
In the background, men are disassembling the
Great Wall of China and boats are coming
through.
 Symbolism
 Exaggeration
 Captions/ Labels
 Analogy
X Irony
After years of isolating themselves
from the rest of the world, the Chinese
now want to emigrate to the U.S.
QUESTIONS/REACTION
I wonder… My reaction to the
cartoon is…
Answers will vary. May
include:
What was happening in China
to make them want to
emigrate?
Why did people who had been
discriminated against work to
discriminate against newer
immigrants?
MESSAGE/ARGUMENT: What
is the cartoonists’ point of
view about this topic or issue?
The cartoonist thinks it’s
ironic for members of previous
waves of immigration to work
together to exclude the
Chinese.
Optional Materials
Real Per Capita GDP (2005 Dollars)
Year Sets:
1835-1840- Panic of 1837
1855-1860- Know Nothing Party (founded 1849, Political success in 1850s)
1870-1877- Panic of 1873
1878-1883- Panic of 1879 and Chinese Exclusion Act (attempted to pass in
1878-vetoed by Hayes, passed in 1882)
2005-2009- Present Day Comparisons
Year
Real Per Capita GDP
1835
$1,895.18
1836
$1,897.46
1837
$1,860.29
1838
$1,885.41
1839
$1,883.69
1840
$1,837.66
Year
Real Per Capita GDP
1855
$2,512.80
1856
$2,543.06
1857
$2,486.22
1858
$2,520.57
1859
$2,640.56
1860
$2,605.51
Year
Real Per Capita GDP
1870
$2,813.59
1871
$2,868.02
1872
$3,030.00
1873
$3,200.30
1874
$3,170.20
1875
$3,090.61
1876
$3,151.56
1877
$3,242.69
Year
Real Per Capita GDP
1878
$3,283.23
1879
$3,595.59
1880
$3,816.27
1881
$4,193.03
1882
$4,296.41
1883
$4,290.16
1884
$4,114.30
1885
$4,034.45
1886
$4,277.96
Year
Real Per Capita GDP
2005
$42,697.30
2006
$43,424.80
2007
$43,842.49
2008
$43,440.06
2009
$41,890.45