Immigration First Wave Presentation

AP United States HistoryAP United States HistoryUnit 3: Antebellum AmericaUnit 3: Antebellum America

Characteristics of The First WaveCharacteristics of The First WaveMainly Mainly European Or ChineseEuropean Or Chinese

• GermansGermans..– Facing hunger, Facing hunger,

smallpox outbreaks, smallpox outbreaks, and unemployment and unemployment in Germany.in Germany.

– German revolutions German revolutions of 1830 and 1848of 1830 and 1848 produce political and produce political and economic refugees.economic refugees.

German Immigrants First Wavehttp://www.texasescapes.com/WTBlock/

TexasGermanSettlerFirstGenElkinsBrossmJPenney.jpg

Characteristics of The First WaveCharacteristics of The First WaveMainly European Or ChineseMainly European Or Chinese

• IrishIrish..– Potato faminePotato famine of 1845. of 1845.– Potatoes, Ireland's main food, was Potatoes, Ireland's main food, was

affected by blight.affected by blight.– Millions of Irish starve, hundreds of Millions of Irish starve, hundreds of

thousands die.thousands die.– British government collects British government collects

information, organizes relief, and information, organizes relief, and tried to maintain order, but violated tried to maintain order, but violated property rightsproperty rights in the process. in the process.

– Many Irish farmers lose their land Many Irish farmers lose their land to the to the British governmentBritish government..

– Forced many to go to America to Forced many to go to America to survive. survive.

Death Stalks The Irish Potato Faminehttp://www.eugeniadallas.com/photos/005.jpg


• Irish.Irish.– Made good factory Made good factory

workers.workers.– Hard-working, had Hard-working, had

some education, and some education, and understood Englishunderstood English. .

First Wave Irish Immigrantshttp://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/images/00sc_irishboat.jpg

Characteristics of The First WaveCharacteristics of The First WaveMainly Mainly European Or ChineseEuropean Or Chinese

Political Cartoon Of Irish & German Immigrants http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/catholiclouisiana/know.jpg


• ChineseChinese..– Recruited to Recruited to build build

railroads and pick railroads and pick foodfood in the west, in the west, mainly California, mainly California, Oregon, and Nevada. Oregon, and Nevada. First Wave Chinese Immigrants

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Chinese_Emigration_to_America_b.jpg/250px-

Chinese_Emigration_to_America_b.jpg

Characteristics of The First WaveCharacteristics of The First WaveWilling To Work Willing To Work Low-Paying JobsLow-Paying Jobs

• Needed something to survive. Needed something to survive.

Early Immigrant Workershttp://www.rayfo.co.uk/USERIMAGES/dowlais%20ironworks%201840%20(g.%20childs).jpg

Characteristics of The First WaveCharacteristics of The First WaveCame In Thousands A DayCame In Thousands A Day

• Situation in the Situation in the homeland left homeland left nothing to be nothing to be desired.desired.

• ProtectionProtection in in numbers. numbers. Early 19th Century Immigrants

Entering New Yorkhttp://mindisitterud.com/images/z_immigration.jpg

Characteristics of The First WaveCharacteristics of The First WaveSettled In Settled In Major CitiesMajor Cities

• Mostly in the Mostly in the NorthNorth..– More More tolerationtoleration, ,

although not much.although not much.– Cheap factory jobs, Cheap factory jobs,

cheap housing.cheap housing.– Increases the size of Increases the size of

Northern cities almost Northern cities almost overnight.overnight.

– Created Created ethnic ethnic neighborhoodsneighborhoods for for protection and support.protection and support.New York Harbor, Ca. 1850

http://www.copyrightexpired.com/hawkins/nyc/large/_new%20york%20city%20from%20brooklyn%201872%20ny%20illustrated.jpg

Characteristics of The First WaveCharacteristics of The First WaveProvided With Very Few Provided With Very Few Public ServicesPublic Services

• Learned to be Learned to be self-reliantself-reliant and and to work as an to work as an ethnic group to ethnic group to gain power. gain power.

Mid-19th Century Immigrants Getting Off The Boat

http://www.understandingrace.org/images/482x270/society/famine_irish_race.jpg

Tensions With The First WaveTensions With The First Wave““NativistsNativists””

• People born in the People born in the United States, not United States, not in Europe.in Europe.

• Feel threatened by Feel threatened by the immigrants the immigrants and prejudice and prejudice develops. develops. Nativists

http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/kade/adams/images/illus44.jpg

Tensions With The First WaveTensions With The First Wave“Nativists”“Nativists”

• Did not treat the new Did not treat the new immigrants as equal.immigrants as equal.

• Different religions Different religions ((Catholicism and Catholicism and ConfucianismConfucianism) threaten ) threaten traditional American traditional American religions.religions.– Second Great AwakeningSecond Great Awakening

plays a key role in this.plays a key role in this.• Worked for Worked for lower wageslower wages, ,

so drove nativists out of so drove nativists out of jobs. jobs. View Of Slave & Irish Labor In

The Mid-19th Centuryhttp://www.victoriana.com/Irish/page1.JPG


View Of What Influenced Irish Immigrantshttp://www.ashp.cuny.edu/video/images/f-1b.jpg


New York’s Infamous Five Points Districthttps://www.nyhistory.org/web/afs/images/history/five-points.jpg

Tensions With The First WaveTensions With The First WaveRace RelationsRace Relations

• Competed with African-Americans for Competed with African-Americans for low-paying jobs.low-paying jobs.– Usually got them because they were Usually got them because they were whitewhite..

• New immigrants usually took the views New immigrants usually took the views of the local majority concerning race.of the local majority concerning race.– Regardless of what region you were in, Regardless of what region you were in,

African-Americans were treated African-Americans were treated unkindlyunkindly..• Leads to Leads to bitterness and violencebitterness and violence between between

the immigrants and the blacks. the immigrants and the blacks.

Tensions With The First WaveTensions With The First WaveNew Economic PatternNew Economic Pattern

• Leads to less Leads to less young farm young farm womenwomen being hired in New being hired in New England factories.England factories.– Factory owners had a large Factory owners had a large

amount of turnover because amount of turnover because their single women wanted to their single women wanted to get marriedget married..

– Women objected to working Women objected to working the faster, more dangerous the faster, more dangerous machines. machines.

Women Workers In The Mid-19th Century

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2132253513_4a6e3c2d09.jpg?v=0

Tensions With The First WaveTensions With The First WaveNew Economic PatternNew Economic Pattern

• Immigrants require Immigrants require less "less "coddlingcoddling" and " and provide the mills with provide the mills with a "permanent" a "permanent" working force.working force.

• By 1860, nearly By 1860, nearly 50%50% of New England of New England factory workers are factory workers are IrishIrish. . Irish Immigrant Looking For Work

http://www.ailf.org/exhibit/ex_irishim_files/Irish1_files/immigrant.jpg

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Immigration First Wave Presentation