-
The Second Wave Begins
Prior to 1820, there was a lull in immigration due to the American Revolution and other wars happening in Europe. The Second Wave of immigration to the United States began in 1820. -
Period: to
German Revolutions of 1848
While the Irish fled the potato famine, many Germans were also immigrating to the United States following the Revolutions of 1848 in Germany. Unlike the Irish, they often ventured inland, with many families purchasing farms in the Midwest. These immigrants were nicknamed, "The Forty-Eighters". -
Period: to
Irish Potato Famine
Beginning in 1845, Ireland experienced a potato famine, which killed almost one million people. This caused a huge wave of Irish immigrants coming to the United States in an attempt to escape the famine. A majority of Irish immigrants arrived with little to no money, meaning they had no means to travel farther inland once they arrived in the United States. As a result, Irish immigrants tended to stay near the East Coast. -
Period: to
The America Party
In 1845, a political party was formed called the America Party or the Know-Nothing Party. The members of this party had concerns about religious and political differences, and in some cases, were blatantly racist. Supporters of this party and other nativist movements demanded laws that would reduce immigration, particularly from Asia. The party was disbanded by 1860. -
Period: to
The Gold Rush
Gold was discovered in California on January 28th, 1848, which encouraged both immigrants and native-born Americans to move west. Almost 300,000 people immigrated to California both from within the United States and from outside the country. Thousands of immigrants came from Latin America, Europe, Australia, and China. -
Period: to
Castle Garden
Castle Garden, located in Manhattan, New York, is considered America's first immigration station. Over the span of 35 years, Castle Garden received more than 8 million people. -
Transcontinental Railroad
Construction of the Transcontinental Railroad began in 1862. The railroad ran from Nebraska to California and was completed in 1869. The lure of gold and the prospect of work on the railroad brought a wave of Chinese immigrants to the West Coast of the United States. -
Period: to
Economic Depression
During the 1870’s, the United States suffered an economic depression. Meanwhile, Germany and Great Britain were enjoying relative economic prosperity. Thanks to the combination of restrictive legislation and economic problems, immigration went through another period of decline. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
In 1882, the Untied States Congress enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act, which made immigration for practically all ethnic Chinese individuals illegal. Many Americans thought that the large volume of Chinese immigrants that arrived in American during the Gold Rush and the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad lowered the average wage for all Americans. The act banned the Chinese from employment by corporations and state, county or municipal governments.
