Immigration in the Pre-Civil War Period
Coming to America…..but WHY?!?!
Because of the Industrial Revolution, there were not enough jobs for all of the people seeking them
Extremely poor, they immigrated to America in hopes of a better life
First Wave: The British
The British From 1831-1840, 600,ooo+ Immigrated to the United States
Came for two primary reasons:1. Political2. Economic Became a powerful influence after awhile-
antislavery views, supported public education, and farmed
Second Wave: The Germans
Cincinnati especially has a strong German-influence
44% of Total Population in 1870 was German
Germans
Third Wave: The Scots and IrishThe Irish Potato Famine
•Also known as the Great Famine or Great Hunger
•Period of mass starvation and disease
•This created a need for a change
Over 1 Million people died in 7 long years
Irish and the Scots
Immigration at a Glance
Year# of Immigrants
1831-1840
599,125
1841-1850
1,713,251
1851-1860
2,598,214
1861-1870
2,314,824
1871-1880
2,812,191
1881-1890
5,246,613
What is a Nativist?Someone who believes that foreign-born people
pose a threat and should not be allowed to enter country
Irish Catholics, East European Jews, Italians, Chinese, and Japanese
Relations
Were the first targets of nativists
Were segregated and looked down upon because of the way they speak, look, and especially because they were Catholic
Irish Relations
Genealogy: The study and tracing of lines of descent or development.
After dividing into 3 Separate Groups, refer to the ‘Name’ Guide
Answer the following questions on the back of your notes:
Genealogy Activity!
1. Before looking for your surname, what group of immigrants do you think that you belong to, if any, from this compiled list?
2. If you can locate your name, what nation would your name have been from? If you can not find your name at all on the lists, do one of two things: A: “Google” your name on a smart phone or friend’s phone and find information there. B: Just pick any name from the lists.
3. What does your name stand for? What is it’s meaning? If you can not find the meaning, look it up!
4. What struggles, if any, would your group of immigrants have in coming to this nation?
5. Please write a brief paragraph on your feelings of your findings. Ex: Did you learn something from all of this?