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Group 4A
DBQ: New Immigration
Prompt: For the years 1880 – 1925, analyze both the tensions surrounding the issue of immigration and
the United States government’s response to these tensions.
After the Civil War, America began to focus its efforts on growing as a nation with a focus on the
economy. Old immigrants flourished economically throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
as the enclosure movement swept over Britain and economic opportunity shone in America. The wave
of new immigrants came from the 1880s to the 1920s; however, they were met with mixed reaction
from Americans. Some felt that immigrants were taking American jobs and should not be allowed in the
country, while others welcomed immigrants with opened arms. Tensions were high during the period of
new immigration, causing citizens to discriminate against immigrants and the government to pass
legislation limiting the number of immigrants allowed in the country.
The new immigrants came to the United States for several reasons. Push factors, or factors
forcing a population out of their homeland, included political and religious reasons. The economic
conditions of their home countries were poor, finding jobs could be difficult at times. For example, the
Italians and Slovakian people came to America to find a job, save the money they earned, and go back
home to provide for their families (Doc. B). Religious persecution also pushed immigrants out of their
homelands and into a more welcoming society in America. After the Russian Revolution, the Jewish
community was persecuted and forced out of Russia. Many Jews immigrated to America specifically to
fulfill the “American Dream”, or the concept that hard work would pay off. This dream was seen as a pull
factor, or a factor that makes a country attractive to immigrants. America seemed like a refuge where
the immigrants could receive an education, their own land, and practice their own beliefs (Doc. A). Both
push and pull factors together made a large amount of a heterogeneous population immigrate to
America.
With all of these new immigrants coming in, American people faced competition in finding jobs.
Working class Americans, especially those in the Populist Party, began to see immigrants as beggars
looking for handouts in a land that was not their own (Doc. C). With this sentiment, Prescott Hall
founded the Immigration Restriction League in 1894. The League’s goal was to restrict immigration, and
impose literacy tests. Members of the League worried that these new immigrants would take Americans
jobs Further, some Americans believed that they were part of the Nordic “great race” (Doc. G). This
“great race” essentially consisted of white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) in the US. This arrogance
coupled with the taking of American jobs made American’s tempers run short. The strongest example of
this fear was exemplified by the Chinese immigration. Chinese immigrated to the US and quickly became
the leading force behind the building of the transcontinental railroad. Americans immediately viewed
this in a negative light, as American jobs were being “stolen”. The Chinese became known as the “Yellow
Peril”, since they were putting Americans in peril by taking their jobs. Americans’ tensions grew higher,
causing the government to respond in a major way.
Not all Americans, however, viewed immigrants as a negative. In 1889, Jane Addams founded
the Hull House in Chicago. At the Hull House, immigrants were able to learn about American culture.
Addams taught English, Americanizaion, and urban survival skills to the new immigrants. Similarly, the
muckraking Jacob Riis exposed the poor living conditions most immigrants were subject to in his
muckraking book How the Other Half Lives. Riis used a combination of photography and text, called
photojournalism, to portray the abysmal living conditions of immigrants.
In 1882, the federal government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. The act was signed into law
by Chester A. Arthur, and was expected to last 10 years. The Act completely banned all Chinese
immigration into the United States. In 1907, Teddy Roosevelt and the Japanese government agreed to
the Gentleman’s Agreement. It required that Japan stop emigration; however, America would not stop
immigration of Japanese (Doc. E). The Act was designed to reduce tensions, but was only partially
effective in doing so. In 1917, the government further deepened tensions by passing the aptly named
Immigration Act of 1917. The Act, repealed by President Wilson, was overrode by a majority to pass. It
not only banned immigration from the Asiatic Barred Zone, a large portion of Asia, but also banned
immigration to “idiots”, “professional beggars”, “homosexuals” and a host of other groups. Each of
these Acts alienated a segment of the world, causing tensions not only outside of America, but in the
country as well. Japanese and Chinese citizens became angered at the persecution of their people by the
American government.
The federal government also passed acts that limited immigration to the entire world rather
than a small portion of it. The Immigration Act of 1882 cut immigration off from all groups likely to
“become a public charge”. The Act eventually became effective at stopping immigration of unmarried
women. Several decades later, The Immigration Act of 1921, or Emergency Quota Act, was passed in
order to greatly limit the amount of immigrants allowed into the country. The Act limited immigration to
3% of a country’s population living in the United States based on the 1910 census. For example, if
100,000 people from country X lived in the US in 1910, only 3,000 people from country X per year were
allowed into America based on the Emergency Quota Act. Document H shows a massive population
attempting to immigrate into America; however, the quota act limited immigration like a big funnel. In
1924, the government further aggravated immigrants by passing the Immigration Act of 1924. This
limited immigration to 2% of a country’s population living in the United States based on the 1890
census.
Some believe that the majority of America supported the large number of immigrants coming
into the country. The increase of labor brought forth new technological advancements such as the
elevator and skyscraper. This industrialization caused cities to grow and surrounding areas to urbanize.
Although the growth of cities brought forth new innovations, immigrants lived in subpar conditions
worse than that of any American laborer. Foreigners lived in crowded tenement buildings without
running water or any sanitation. With the large influx of immigrant workers America grew rapidly, yet
tension continued to worsen between foreigners and American citizens.
American response to immigrants was mostly negative, and governmental legislation reflected
this. American arrogance and a potential loss of jobs to immigrants infuriated the American population.
This same arrogance can be traced to present day times, with stereotypes running rampant around
nearly every foreign population. Immigrants, however, can be credited with aiding in the urbanization,
mechanization, and industrialization of the American economy.
DBQ: Immigration 1880-1925
Document Analysis
Causes of Immigration
Doc A- America was seen
as an asylum for
immigrants with no
prejudice and plenty of
jobs of everyone.
Doc B- Immigrants
flooded to American ports
for it was known that
many low skill jobs had
been vacated or created
giving new economic
opportunities for the less
fortunate
Doc F- immigrants were
integrated into society and
became part of American
culture via the "melting
pot" of people
Citizen Response to
Immigration
Doc D- Booker T.
Washington's speech in
Atlanta showed decent as
Washington thought that
America was looking to the
wrong group for jobs, not the
immigrants but the local
blacks.
Doc G- WASP ideals still
were apparent, painting
WASPs as a superior group to
all, look down upon other
immigrants and discriminating
against them.
Government Response to
Immigration
Doc C- The National People Party
spoke out against immigrants as
they were seen as inferiors that
took jobs from hard working
Americans
Doc E- Report on the creation of
Gentleman’s Agreement with
Japan, reducing immigration was
seen in the best interest of both
countries
Doc H- The amount of people
emigrating from countries for
America far exceeded the amount
of immigrants that the American
people wished to harbor, over the
year the government increased
regulation and restrictions on the
amount of people allowed into the
country
Outline
1) Intro
a) Old immigration
i) Northwestern European immigrants before 1880
b) New immigration
i) Southeastern European immigrants, especially in the period 1880-1925
c) Thesis: Tensions were high during the period of new immigration, causing citizens to
discriminate against immigrants and the government to pass legislation limiting the
number of immigrants allowed in the country.
2) Causes of new immigration
a) Push factors (factors that pushed immigrants out of Europe)
i) Persecution
ii) Scarcity of jobs
b) Pull factors (factors that pulled immigrants into America)
i) Economic opportunity
ii) The idea of the “American dream”
c) Documents Used: A, B
3) Citizen response to immigration
a) Immigration Restriction League
i) Founded: 1984, Prescott F. Hall
ii) Attempted to make known the “dangers” of immigration
iii) Pushed for further restriction of immigrants
iv) Wanted literacy test
b) American jobs at stake?
i) Many worried whether American jobs were at stake b/c of the immigrants
ii) Example: Chinese Exclusion Act passed because Chinese eventually took American
jobs on the transcontinental railroad
iii) Immigrants=cheaper labor than citizens
iv) Yellow peril
c) Positive reactions
i) Jane Addams/Hull House
ii) Jacob Riis/How the Other Half Lives
d) Documents Used: C, G
4) Governmental response to immigration
a) Chinese Exclusion Act
i) 1882
ii) Stopped Chinese immigration b/c of fear of loss of American jobs
b) Gentleman’s Agreement
i) 1907
ii) TR and Japanese agreement to limit emigration out of Japan
c) Immigration Act of 1882
d) Immigration Act of 1917
i) Bans many groups including homosexuals, insane people, idiots, criminals, and
alcoholics
ii) “Asiatic Barred Zone”—NO immigration whatsoever
(1) Deepens Chinese Exclusion Act by stopping more Asian immigration
e) Immigration Act of 1921
i) Aka Emergency Quota Act
ii) 3% of people living in US based on 1910 census could immigrate
f) Immigration Act of 1924
i) Limits immigration to 2% of US population of a country based on 1890 census
ii) Further limits immigration
g) Documents used: E, H
5) Counterargument
a) Many Americans welcomed immigration
b) Industrialization
i) Immigrants provided a cheap backbone of labor
ii) Helps in technological advancements
c) Document used: D
6) Conclusion
a) Americans did not accept immigrants
i) Magnified through governmental policy
SFI List
1. Chinese Exclusion Act
2. Emergency Quota Act/Immigration Act of 1921
3. Immigration Act of 1924
4. Immigration Act of 1917
5. Gentleman’s Agreement
6. Teddy Roosevelt
7. Populist Party
8. New Immigration
9. Old Immigration
10. American Dream
11. Prescott Hall
12. Immigration Restriction League
13. Yellow Peril
14. Transcontinental Railroad
15. Chester A. Arthur
16. Woodrow Wilson
17. Asiatic Barred Zone
18. Industrialization
19. WASP
20. Russian Revolution
21. Civil War
22. Immigration
23. Urbanization
24. Jacob Riis/How the Other Half Lives
25. Jane Addams/Hull House
26. Americanization
27. Immigration Act of 1882
28. Muckrakers
29. Progressive Era
30. Japan
31. Photojournalism