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Immigration Timeline
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Homestead Act
The Homestead act of 1862 was signed into effect on May 20, 1862. This act gave 160 acres to people to live on for at least five years. Many peole moved west to claim 160 acres and farm or ranch on it. -
Escaping Pogroms
Klara and her husband, Eduard, escaped the pogroms, or religious persecuation against Jews, in Russia. Klara hoped to find a job in New York. -
Aboard Steerage
Klara and Eduard had very little money, and they wanted to save as much as possible. They were aboard steerage when Klara got separated from Eduard. They were not allowed to stay near each other on the boat. Klara stayed in a filthy, tiny compartment where disease was common. She nad no privacy from other people, and regularly felt sick. She had to bring her own straw matress for the trip. -
Tenement Living
The Ivanovs found an available tenement in New York. A tenement was an unclean, unsafe apartment building, which often times didn't have any sanitary water. Many of Klara's neighbors became sick from the water provided at the tenement. Many people, Klara included, would do anything to move out of the tenements. -
Sweatshop Job
Klara got a job working in a sweatshop, sewing dresses. A sweatshop is a dirty, often infested, hot crowder factory or building. Klara had almost no space to work. She worked 72 hours a week for low pay. Not only was her sweatshop insanitary, but it was also dangerous. Klara had to work near machinery every day, which could chop off limbs. -
Plan to Move West
Klara got tired of the tight living quarters in the tenement. Although it was tight, it was dirty, and that was much worst. She was also tired of the unsafe and unclean working conditions. The Ivanovs wanted to farm on 160 acres. -
Moving West
Klara saved up just enough to buy a horse. The Ivanovs packed up, and walked west where they registered for 160 acres to farm on. The day that they first saw their land was very exciting! -
New Neighbors Who Help
Klara made friends with her neighbors, the McFarlands, who helped them build up their farm. The McFarlands were extremely experienced farmers who helped the Ivanovs a lot the first year. They planted seeds and built a tiny farmhouse. -
First Harvest and a New Job
Eduard and Klara decided that Eduard should go to work on the railroads to make a little more money. Even though this was not ideal, they wanted the cash. After Eduard left, the McFarlands helped Klara harvest her first year of crops because with Eduard gone, it would have been hard for Klara to do it herself. -
Conclusion
Klara Ivanov made the decision to travel oversees to the United States to escape pogroms and to find a job. After living in a tenement and sewing in a factory for a living, the Ivanovs moved west to claim 160 acres and farm on their new land. Klara's life was changed even after moving west by her husband, Eduard finding a job on the railroads to make extra money.
