The document discusses immigration to the United States in the late 19th/early 20th century. During this period, most immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe as well as the eastern Mediterranean rather than previous sources of northern Europe. People left these areas due to overpopulation, lack of jobs, and mistreatment by governments. America offered jobs, opportunity, and freedom. Many immigrants passed through Ellis Island where they underwent health screenings and processing before settling across the United States, often where family or jobs were located.

1. Immigration
Ch 15.1 & 2

2. New ImmigrantsNew Immigrants
 immigrants had come from northern Europe
since before the American Revolution
– United Kingdom (England, Scotland, & Irish)
– Germany
– Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, & Finland)
 fewer immigrants came from these countries
– they already had industrialized countries

3. New ImmigrantsNew Immigrants
southern & eastern Europe
eastern Mediterranean
much of these areas controlled by
– Russian Empire
– Austro-Hungarian Empire
– Ottoman (Turkish) Empire

5. New ImmigrantsNew Immigrants
 reasons for leaving:
– overpopulation
– lack of jobs
– mistreatment by government
 America offered:
– jobs
– opportunity
– freedom

8. Crossing the OceanCrossing the Ocean
 steamships were safer & faster
 steamships didn’t have to worry about winds
 steamships could operate on any schedule
 cheap passage available
– single men could come to America for a few
months or years & go home

10. Ellis Island: Gate to AmericaEllis Island: Gate to America
 1886: Statue of
Liberty in New York
Harbor
 1892: Ellis Island
opened as
immigration center
 What happened at
Ellis Island?

12. Medical CheckupsMedical Checkups
checked for diseases & other health
impairments
depending on the disease, an
immigrant could be
– turned away
– kept on the island until improvement

15. ProcessingProcessing
inspectors might ask immigrants:
– Name?
– Occupation?
– Who paid your fare?
– Can you read & write?
– How much money do you have?
– Have you ever been in prison or the
poorhouse?
– Where are you going?

18. Name ChangesName Changes
 during this processing,
names often changed
 names that were
difficult to pronounce or
spell were changed
 American-sounding
names

19. Immigrants SettledImmigrants Settled
settled where there was work
– mines
– mills
– factories
beginning of 1900s half of all
immigrants settled in four states
– New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,
& Illinois

20. Immigrants SettledImmigrants Settled
most immigrants ended up where
relatives were located
– many immigrants had relatives in America
pay their way
most immigrants ended up doing similar
jobs to what their relatives did

21. Living conditions in USLiving conditions in US
For the poor—
– TENEMENT buildings
– Overcrowded, dark, unventilated apartments
– 10-12 family members living in a 1-2 BR apt
– Disease spread quickly, no windows
– High rent for small space

26. Working conditions
-Many women and children worked to support the family
-“Newsies” was about the plight of child newspaper boys
-Poorly lit, not properly ventilated factories
-long hours

31. Meanwhile…the rich lived well!
-Houses that looked like castles
-Factory owners
-Fashionable

32. Vanderbilt estate

36. Carnegie Mansion

37. Rockefeller mansion