Immigration

By Garrett, Michael, and Trent

An Introduction to Immigration• Immigration boomed during the 1840s and 1850s

because Europe seemed to be running out of room.• Leading up to and thereafter, explosive growth was

taking place, creating a somewhat undesirable environment during the influx of immigration.

• Most immigrants came for food and political freedom, but some immigrated just for a better life in America.

• Many diverse groups of people moved into the United States during this time period. These groups included Irish, Germans, and French.

Irish• The Irish immigrated mostly due to the potato famine.• In the “Black Forties,” as the Irish called them, there was

a massive rot in the potatoes, which made up the majority of the Irish diet. Tens of thousands of desperate people flooded into the plentiful American soil from their famine filled homeland. These poor Irish immigrants swarmed to large cities

• Most Irish were Roman Catholic.• Many Irish agreed on political matters, so they united in

voting to make a large voting body. • The Irish were often poor and did not possess many

goods.• The Irish hated blacks because they were seen as

competition for cheap labor. • They also disliked the British because they were

Protestant.

Irish (continued)

• The established New England Puritans despised the Irish because of their Roman Catholic beliefs.

• The Men were called “Paddies” and the Women were referred to as “Biddies”. The “Biddies” usually served as kitchen maids while the “Paddies” took low skill occupation jobs. Such as digging canals and making railroads.

• Signs stating “NINA” (No Irish Need Apply) were often posted at factory gates because Irish took jobs from natives.

• Close to 2 million Irish immigrants arrived between 1820 and 1850.

• The Ancient Order of Hibernians aimed to help the friendless poor Irish.

Irish Contributions

• The Irish mostly took sides with the South on the issue of slavery. The dislike of the Blacks came from their class struggle (competition for lower skilled jobs and such).

• Politics

• Liquor

Germans• Germans came to America because of crop shortages

and other problems.• Germans were generally better educated than

Americans.• Germans opposed slavery (Carl Schurz). • They were called “forty-eighters” because of the collapse

of the democratic revolutions in 1848. America was their hope for democracy.

• The majority were uprooted farmers.• A lot of people were liberal political refugees.• The German political strengths were often divided.

Germans (continued)

• The Germans were strong supporters of public education and gave us Kindergarten (children’s garden).

• On the Sabbath, the Germans celebrated with large quantities of “bier” (or beer as we call it).

• German drinking spurred advocates of the reform movement to double their reform efforts.

• Most German immigrants settled in the Midwest but were widely scattered. Another large group of Germans (particularly Amish and Mennonite) settled in Pennsylvania. This created less political strength (as opposed to the eventually influential Irish).

German Contributions• Material goods• Democracy• Took sides with the North (were foes of slavery)• Conestoga wagon• Kentucky Rifle• Christmas tree• BEIR (beer)• Public education and institutions

– Ex: Kindergarten (“children’s garden”)

Anti-Foreigners

• American “nativists” feared that the foreigners would overwhelm the “native” people.

• The “nativists” believed that in due time the Catholic church would be established to overrule Protestantism.

• The Order of the Star Spangled Banner was established in 1849 to push for restrictions on immigration. “Nativists” members made many books that were fiction discriminating against Roman Catholics.

• Mass violence

Sources

• Kennedy, David M. The American Pageant. 13th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.

• "The Germans in America." The Library of Congress. 29 Oct. 2007. US Library of Congress. 29 Oct. 2007 <http://www.loc.gov/rr/european/imde/germchro.html>.