8/14/2019 Explain why there was mass immigration to the USA between the years 1890 and 1914 (12 marks).docx

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Explain why there was mass immigration to the USA

between the years 1890 and 1914

There was mass immigration to the USA between the years 1890 and 1914 for a combination of reasons, all of

which are based around socio-economic, ideological, political, cultural and technological factors.

America was considered at this time The Great Melting Pot due to immigrants from everywhere mixing into

this one country, however, this immigration did not form a melting pot of cultures because each ethnic

group had their own area in a town or even its own town. For immigrants, America was seen as a place for

achieving the dream of improving and having a better life, there they had freedoms and liberty, this is why

immigration was not only from Europe but from other parts of the world. The other form of immigration was

formed called migration. There was a lot of migration from African-Americans from poorer South to the more

prosperous North; however, the migrating African-Americans were not welcomed, they suffered much the

same way as they had in the South.

The changes in American society that immigration brought about were friction between newly arrived and

older established groups, religion being the main one, with older groups (Protestants) and the newer ones

(catholic). The changes in American politics that immigration brought about were very little; power was kept

by the WASPs (White Anglo Saxon Protestants). Irish Americans began sticking together for collective political

clout which brought about the significance of Tammany Hall. Tammany Hall was notorious for the corruption

in city and state politics that it fostered; it was built by local politics to support the Democratic Party and it

provided immigrants with a social safety net. It also controlled businesses, influenced police, certain labour

unions and voting.

Push and pull factors are said to be a main cause of immigration to America. Push factors are reasons that

generally push people out of their country; the push factors in Europe included population growth as Europe

had better food and homes causing a population growth and so it soon became overcrowded. Due to

agricultural changes, landlords took advantage of city growth because of the overcrowdedness and forced

residents out in order for the land owners to farm in large areas. Also in agricultural changes, there was mass

crop failure, poor farmers were in debt because of this, causing them to starve and so they chose to redeem

themselves in America instead. The Industrial Revolution introduced factories which made cheaper materials

that artisans could not compete with so because of their unemployment status, some decided to come to

America. Regarding religious and political chaos, Quakers from Norway and Jews from Germany left to avoid

religious harassment, Germans also came as the German Revolution didnthave the desired outcome. Not only

that, but the persecution of Russian Jews and the economic collapse and starvation of Southern Italians

influenced a lot of immigrants.

Pull factors are factors that attracted immigrants to America. Considered to be the most attractive pull factor

was freedom, as immigrants looked for a place to practice anything they desired. Also, economic opportunities

gave immigrants a reason to seek a better life, and they found it in America. Because of the Louisiana Purchase

and the Mexican Cession effect on America was gaining more than enough land, this attracted Europeans who

faced overcrowding in their country. There were limited restrictions for immigrants to get into America but

only 2% of immigrants were turned away.

Therefore, there was mass immigration in the USA between the years 1890 and 1914 as the immigrants lives

in their native countries was poor and they looked for a better place to live with freedom and opportunities

which they found in America.