Immigration Dbq Essay

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. 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 (Document B). Many Jews immigrated to America specifically to fulfill the “American Dream”, or the concept that hard work would pay off. America seemed like a refuge where the immigrants could receive an education, their own land, and practice their own beliefs (Document A). Immigrants were integrated into society and became part of American culture through the "melting pot" of people (Document F). Both factors together made a large amount of a diverse 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 (Document 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” (Document G). Booker T. Washington's speech in Atlanta showed how he thought that America was looking to the wrong group for jobs, not the immigrants but the local blacks (Document D). Americans’ tensions grew higher, causing the government to respond in a major

way.
Major cities became overpopulated and resources become scarce and decreased in quality due to the large immigration to 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 (Document E). The Act was designed to reduce tensions, but was only partially effective in doing so. 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 (Document H).
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.