US immigration

  • Land ACT

    Land ACT
    easier to by land from government / 1.25$ an acre
    // No more space in Europe
  • Period: to

    Sources of Migration towards the US

    1-Europe
    2-Asia
    3-Mexico
    4-Canada
    5-Caribbean
    6-South America
  • Repeal-Act prohibiting Artisans to leave the country (UK)

  • Russian Pale created

    Russian Pale created
    a place where 75% of Eastern European Jews are from, created by Tsar Nicholas I and in which jews were mandated to live in - actual lituania, ukraine, poland and south-eastern provinces of Russia
  • Cunard Line created

    Cunard Line created
    British Company
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    Ships tripling in size

  • Period: to

    Mostly wooden ships transporting imigrants

    Also creation of the first transportation companies
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    Majority of Northern Italian immigration

    Tradition of moving around in italy, where you are needeed, so started moving to the US, bringing their skills (Californian wineries)
    Because of political reasons, to avoid draft/jail, and economic opportunities.
    Context of political turmoil in Italy, was multiple little states, not one unified, fighting and lobbying for a unification that would happen later.
  • Hamburg-American Line created

    Hamburg-American Line created
    German company
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    Risorgimento

    Movement of Italian Independance and unification
  • Increase migration to the US

  • Period: to

    Time of Massive Chinese Immigration

    1850s- 40k
    1870s- 120k
    1890s- 10k
  • Period: to

    Chinese immigration for the Gold Rush

    25k chinese joined the Gold Rush
    America called "Gold Mountain" in Cantonese
  • Investments in Coal Mining, Scranton and Anthracite region of Pennsilvania

    unskilled workers needed seasonal jobs= mines, construction, fields...
    Scranton= a region of mining industry, groing fast thanks to coal mining
    Heavy use of migrants (13% polish, 8% Austrians, 8% Italians...) and of "Breaker Boys" (6y.old boys) who would pick slate from the coal in the early breakers.
  • Foreign Miner's Tax

    Foreign Miner's Tax
  • Essai sur l'inégalité de la race humaine, Arthur de Gobineau

    scientific racism: analyzing human groups and determining their qualities and effect.
    developped in UK, France, then US,...
    =What happen when you mix races?
  • Inquiries of Human Faculties and its Development, Sir Francis Galton

    Eugenics= the study of the agencies under social control, that improves or impair the racial qualities of future generations either phisically or mentally. (rising along with nativsm and SctfcRcsm
    Positive eugenics= aimed at encouraging "positive" citizens, hard-working with no genetic or hereditary health problems to reproduce.
    Negative eugenics= aimed at preventing those considered as "negative" citizens (homeless, unemployed, mental/phisical disabilities= "residuum") from reproducing
  • Castle Garden's Inauguration

    Castle Garden's Inauguration
    8 Million of immigrants went through its doors (2/3 of them all)
  • 96% of imigrants travelling on wooden ships / 90% of ships made out of wood

  • Minority Report of the Commitee of Mines and Mining Interests

    Minority Report of the Commitee of Mines and Mining Interests
    Senate session, an annual report of the controller of state - official document presented in Senate at State Level "Slave" Chinese population
    conflict with other workers, working less and with higher wages - chinese as unfair workforce, not allowing the improvement of worker's conditions
  • North-German Lloyd Company created

    North-German Lloyd Company created
    German Company
  • "The Great Fear of the Period: that Uncle Sam May Be Swallowed by Foreigners

    "The Great Fear of the Period: that Uncle Sam May Be Swallowed by Foreigners
    S.Francisco, White and Bauer
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    Lucrative transatlantic steam ships companies

  • First Unification of Kingdom Of Italy

    except papal states and a bit of Austrian Empire
  • Homestead act

    Homestead act
    settlers were given 150acres of land to work on for 5 years, then the land was yours IF you used it/worked on it for 5 years. For male citizens over 21 or would-be citizens.
    The land was not empty-inhabited lands by wild animals and Native American
  • Contract Labor law

    Contract Labor law
    an employee could recruit workers abroad, signing a contract beforehand, the person is then offered the passage to America at the cost of years of work in the same factory
    // indentured servants
  • First outbreak of Cholera

  • New York City Tenement Act

    New York City Tenement Act
    Tenements are a type of building usually 4-6 stories high in which entire families of immigrants would be packed in to live, sometimes as many as 10 per flats, at a rate of 4 flats per Stories. They were composed of a living room and a bedroom. The stairs were spiraling in the middle of the building. There would be no light and no aishaft, so it would be very hot and smelly. Only accomodation available for the hole building would be open to the eye, dirty and in the open air. One per building.
  • Burlingham Treaty

    Increase of commerce with China, free exchange of marchandise and workers, tourism, businessmen and "permanent residents"
    But chinese not available to claim citizenship, not white nor black (according to the Constitution), but fair treatment of popultaion in both country
  • Complition of the First Transcontinental Railroad

    Complition of the First Transcontinental Railroad
    in Utah
    Lack of workforce due to the Civil War
    use of 12k chinese immigrants to build the western part, the eastern side built by "The English"
    Immigrants now able to settle in difficult places easier to legitimize, claim and use the land
    But not for Chinese - were not welcome to stay
    Harsh conditions while building it- desert, camp, building bridges and tunnels, carving the mountains
  • >90% of S.Francisco Cigar manufacturing by Chinese

  • Sidewalk Ordinance

    Sidewalk Ordinance
    prohibiting people from walking on sidewalks while using a pole to carry goods
    targeting the Chinese population
  • L.A. Riots

    attack of the chinese quarter
    18 Chinese poeple killed, houuses burnt
    condemned by newspaper
  • Kingdom of Italy stabilized

    this time with the former Papal states and a bit of the Austrian Empire part of now Italy
  • Chinese responsible for 1/2 shoes manufactured in Ca.

  • 98% of imigrants travelling on steamships

  • S.Francisco Anti CHinese Demonstration + Snake River Massacre

    S.Francisco Anti CHinese Demonstration + Snake River Massacre
    10 chinese workers killed in the massacre in Oregon, white men killers were acquitted
  • Denver Chinatown attacked

    Denver Chinatown attacked
  • Patterson, "The Silk City"

    city famous for its textile manufactories, at its height in 1880, producing almost half of the silk manufactured in the United States
    ribbons and broad silkk factories
    skilled weavers, mostly immigrants, from traditional silk textile areas of England, Germany and Italy.
    1/2 women, but better paid men
    Start of work at 14y.o.
    Hard works= little space, extremely focused, very tiring
    Cost less to employ immigrants= Italians like Chinese, hardworking for lower wages= unfair competitions
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    Shift in nationalities going to the US

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    Time of Massive Imigration from Europe

    with the highest point between 1901 and 1910
    also time when 1/3 of European jews left their home, and of which 90% went to the US
  • Period: to

    200k jews reached the US

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    Rate War

    great competition between navigation companies, lowering of ticket prices.
    Start of the "Steerage passengers" : those who couldn't afford a cabin were put int the steerage, place between decks usualy above the Engine and the Boiler rooms - at sea level. Very hot, no air, no lights. Those passengers, once arrived in the US, would have to go through the imigration bureaus, contrary to those from the cabins (enventhough they were imigrants, you were not considered as such when you were rich)
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    Majority of Southern Italian immigrants

    Political reasons (revolutionarists, socialists, ...), economic oppression of landlords exploitment (they have the economical and political power through rent ) = poverty and exploitation.
    Immigration to industrial cities, where they needed arms = "Bracchianti" people working with their arms.
    Usually would settle in NY (Lower-East Side, Hell's Kitchen, East Harlem) but also Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, N.O., S.F.
  • Pogroms struck 200 communities in Russian Pale

    Pogroms struck 200 communities in Russian Pale
  • Anti-Italian article, Boston daily advertiser

    West problem=Chinese
    East problem= Italians
    "The Italians Must Go"
    Published just after the Chinese Exclusion Act of the same year
  • Russian laws restricting place of settlement and businesses for jews

  • Chinese Exclusion Act

    Chinese Exclusion Act
    after a period of lobbying to harden immigration laws, this Act prohibiting the entry of Chinese workers for 10 years was passed
    Journalists, merchants, diplomats,... could still go to the US
    Exclusion, not expulsion
  • "The Kind of "Assisted Emigrants" We Cannot Afford to Admit", Puck

    "The Kind of "Assisted Emigrants" We Cannot Afford to Admit", Puck
    REpresentation of death disguised as imigrant, on a british ship arriving in NYC, welcomed by a battery of disinfectants
    Fear of contagious disease
  • Sweatshops

    Sweatshops
    group of people working together in a small space, textile industry, doing the sleaves, buttons, colours of the coats.... usually famillies in the Tenements
  • Scott Act

    Scott Act
    prohibiting return of chinese workers to the us even with a valid re-entry permit
  • "What we would like to see", The WASP

    Strong Anti-Italian sentiment/
    - catholics with different customs
    - "black hand"// criminality linked to them, as they would use force against their own community
    -anarchism (some italians arriving were anarchists fighting for rights of the workers like in Patterson, from where an Italian went back to Italy to kill the Kingof the time)
    -scientific racism, not considered white
  • Hull House constructed, Chicago

    a settlement house, a place helping people integrate in society while being proud of their culture. Italians not really feeling Italians, more Sicilians/Romans... unification still new
    Cultural Shock/ use of olive oil... criticised by Americans, encouraging through reports the use of butter and cream = Americanizing them, integrating them
  • 1/3 of imigrants moving thanks to prepaid tickets

    increasing because of RATE WAR since the1880s
  • How the Other Half Lives, Jacob RIIS

    How the Other Half Lives, Jacob RIIS
    "muckraking" journalism
    also showing and condemning the living conditions in the tenements
  • Closing of Castle Garden

    became too small, too slow, and didn't meet the necessary criteria anymore
  • Immigration Law

    mandatory that all immigrants coming to the US were given a health inspection by the Public Health Service physicians
    // Mental Examination of Immigrants, text of May 18, 1917
  • 20k jews banished from Moscou

  • New Orleans Lynching

    Sheriff was killed, and said it was the Italians just before passing. Police started to look for any Italians in the streets, arresting them: 11 people put in trial for the murder, who were found not guilty. It was thought that the jury had been corrupted by italians, so justice had to be rendered. When about to be released, a mob entered the prison and killed the 11 Italians.
  • Second outbreak of Cholera

  • Opening of Ellis Island

    Opening of Ellis Island
    first Federal Immigration Station on Ellis Island, cost 75K$
    Annie Moore, the "rosy-cheeked girl" of Ellis Island, first to go through - Irish girl considered white (would not have been in the 1860s)
    Island of Hopes, Island of Tears
  • Geary Act

    Geary Act
    Made the Chinese Exclusion act Permanent
    repealed in 1943
    not the problem anymore - targeting on Japanese
  • Immigration Restriction League formed

    Henry Cabot Lodge, Massachusets Republican Senator, public voice of this league some immigrants more welcomed than others
  • Speech to Congress, Henry Cabot Lodge

    selection through "literacy tests", to exclude the immigrants "less fit" for society a law was passed, but not acted(signed by president) Lead to Commision to investigate on immigration
  • Padrone System, encouraged by Contract labor law and made illegal by Foran Act, but system still works. The Padrone makes money at every state of the process, kind of tentacular system in each Italian/Greek and other communities

    gang work= for industrialists, easier to employ the whole group than one by one -also a guarantee that people won't make unions: it's one of them that negociates and employs them with the companies.
    Immigrants established in US (knowing language and customs) going back to their country, offering work and passage to people (steerage). Those people would owe you then, so you pay them less than what you were given to pay them. Idea of helping each other (integration+work for less money) Italians ++
  • The Races of Europe, William Z. Ripley

    hereditary qualities in race, but also impact on the society you are in. Teutonic/Alpine/Mediterranean/... race, with each different phisical criteria.
    = reveal concept of Race:
    -classificat° of H groups as "discrete biotic entites", phisical traits
    -hierarchical ordering race
    -belief phisical characteristics markers of intelectual/maral qualities
    -notion of these qualities as hereditary
    -belief of fixed and not bridgeable differences.
  • Period: to

    2.2 millions italians arrived

    Have to keep in mind that America was not initially their first immigration destination choice : first massive immigration to Brazil when slavery was abolished (1840s), then US, then Argentina...
    At this period (1899-1910), 372.6k from Northern Italy, 1.9 Millions from the south (below Geneva)
  • Period: to

    1.5 M jews reached the US

    With a pick in 1906//russian revolution
  • Period: to

    Improvement of travelling conditions ...

    ... as a result of journalists revealing difficult conditions for imigrants (the Muckrakers journalists)
    65%of imigrants moving to the US thanks to prepaid tickets
  • Period: to

    Garment manufacturing doubling in size

    textile manufacturing
    workers had little rights, and had to buy their own sewing machines
    long paired tables overseen by managers
  • Tenement Act

    Tenement Act
    how to REmake tenements
    - mandated better lighting and fire proofing
    -indoor toilets facilities connected to city seawers. 1 for 2 appartments
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    New Pogroms

  • Agreement between US and Japan

    controlling the number of immigrants
    Japan didn't like the US, and vice-versa
    Japan didn't wanted their people to go away, US didn't want to welcome them
  • Construction of Angel Island in China Cove

    Construction of Angel Island in China Cove
    primarly a detention center, designed to control chinese flow who were denied entry since the Chinese Exclusion Act
    The whole place is carved with isncriptions from people detained there
  • Russian Revolution

    Russian Revolution
  • Gentlemen's Agreement

    between the US and Japan:
    -Japan agrees to restrict emigration to the US
    -US_ no restriction imposed on japanese population already there
  • 326 synagogues in the Lower East Side

    326 synagogues in the Lower East Side
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    Dilligham Commission

    Would investigate on immigration, and produce 41 volumes of studies to analyze the problem.
    Dilligham Reports, state that there is a difference in assimilation btwn the old and new immigration: Old immigration more intelligent, while New are "birds of passage", don't care about US, so why should they care about the future of the country? How to fight what is not working?
    Government influenced
  • More than 1/2 M jews lived in Lower East Side Tenements

  • Eugenics: The Science of Human Improvement by Better Breeding, Charles B. Davenport

    zoologist becoming eugenistic
  • Eugenics Record Office creation

    Financed by philantropists interested in eugenics to have better workers.
  • Period: to

    Eugenics Ideology's Prime

    Heredity
    -Blood
    -Good/Bad stock (carrying good or bad blood) Innate/Inborn Qualities
    -makes you-Fit/Unfit
    -If unfit-Degeneracy (of the race)
    -because-Mongrelization of the race (mix pure and impure blood)
    - Undesirable (up until the 1960's, in some state mentally unwell women would be systematically sterilized by force)
    Also trying to improve "mexican" race, "black" race...
  • First Euthanisation law based on eugenics

  • American Breeders Association 8th Annual Meeting Resolution to Form Permanent Committee on Immigration

    association of animal breeders taking interest in politics and immigration
    scientific racism linking with eugenics
    =trying to change immigration law according to eugenics and scientific racism
  • Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

    Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
    one of the biggest and most influential Garment manfufacturing industry in NYC. Emplooying women mostly, in a high building with only one fire escape, blocked so that employees would not loose their time outside - very hot industry/building, no air.
    When fire broke out, couldn't escape, so some jumped out of the building and died not of fire, but of heights. 150 deaths total. The employers did not end up in jail. Whole afdair shocked the City- conversations about workers conditions. Jew/Italian
  • The Passing of the Great Race, Madison Grant

    White killed themselves during the civil war: less whites, freer blacks, reproduction of blacks increasing, as well as acceptation of migration, so mongrelization of race
  • Immigration Act

    -restricted immigration of the "undesirables"
    -imposed tax of 8$ on each immigrants except children under 16
    - barred immigration from so-called "asiatic Barred Zone" (All Asia barred except Japan, Eastern China, Hong Kong)
    -imposed literacy test (passed law 3 times, overuled president on 4th so that it would be enacted)
  • Entering of War

    relationship btwn citizens and immigrants based on fear of the ennemy.
    Loyalty of imigrants towards USA put to the est Italians became ally, but no imporvement of treatment, while germans became problematical
    =ennemy alliens Loyalty - trust in immigrants
    - Hyphenated americans: immigrants tested loyalty
    - 100% Americanism: forget about old country, now you're an American
    -100% Percenters: most extrem people advocating for the above
    =Patriostism: funding the war effort, take arms
  • Espionnage Act

    prohibited to do anything that could lower the soldier's moral
    - already hard enough to send people so far away as it is
    broaden by 1918 Sedition Act
  • Period: to

    Committee on Public Information

    basically an independant agency working for government controlling war suport and information during war
  • Manual of the Mental Examination of Aliens, US PublicHealth Service

    Publicly recognizing mental illness guide
  • Literary Digest

    Pro war propaganda in foreign language journals + needed to include a translated version of the original journal to the CPI before publishing
    "It's what you say thatmakes you american"
  • Emergency Quota Law

    -established quotas based on national origins
    -3% of the total pop of foreign-born of each nationalities in US recorded in 1910 Census
    -totla number of visa available each year to 320k
  • The Soul Of An Immigrant, Panunzio

    Love for Italy like a mother, love of US like a wife
    Idea of "descent"= where you come from, and "conscent"=agreeing with your own choice of country
  • 2.5 M of jews in the US

  • National Origin Act

    From 3 to 2%, based on 1890 census
  • Mexican border patrol created

  • Marriages Fit/Unfit

    Children might come as "normal", "abnormal" or "tainted"
  • Closing of Ellis Island

    as an immigration station