3.

US

A,

1918-1

9685 essays to learn BUT only 1 to write in the

exam

Issue 1

An Evaluation Of The Reasons For Changing Attitudes To

ImmigrationFactor 1: Prejudice And RacismFactor 2: Isolationism & The First World WarFactor 3: Economic FearFactor 4: Social FearFactor 5: Fear Of Revolution

AIMS OF ESSAY:

To understand why hostility towards immigration grew

in the USA

To explain why the American public

supported immigration restriction

PAST EXAM QUESTIONS

• Did not come up 2015

• How important was fear of revolution (5) as a reason for changing attitudes towards immigration in the 1920s? (2014)

• To what extent was racism (1) the main reason for changing attitudes towards immigration in the 1920s? (2011)

• To what extent does a fear of Communism (5) explain the changes in American policy towards immigration in the 1920s? (2010)

IMMIGRATION ESSAY PLAN

Introduction• Factor 1: Prejudice And Racism• Factor 2: Isolationism & The First

World War• Factor 3: Economic Fear• Factor 4: Social Fear• Factor 5: Fear Of RevolutionConclusion

Remember that this is

an ISOLATED factor

questionStart essay with factor that is in

the question!

General Introduction:

North America has always been a refuge for those in search of a better life; the United States is thus

a nation built upon the foundations of immigration

Immigrants seeking the ‘American Dream’ were for many years the nation’s lifeblood – many came over were skilled and willing to work

However by the 1920s fears over immigration had become so strong that the ‘open door’ of

America slammed shut…

WHY???

PLAN FOR PARAGRAPH 1Racism & Prejudice Changing Attitudes

1. Start with an Opening Argument e.g. state what the link is between the isolated factor & the question

2. Put in Knowledge – discuss the change from old to new immigrants (how did they differ?)

3. Put in Analysis – argue that this changed attitudes to immigration because… (What did the Dillingham Commission show? Why did the old immigrants worry? What grew because of this)

4. Knowledge – discuss that the change in attitude resulted in anti-immigration acts such as…

5. Analysis – explain how these acts show that racism was behind changing attitudes towards immigration (think percentages)

6. Evaluation – sum up why this is an important factor in explaining why attitudes changed toward immigration

Example Paragraph

Read Through Paragraph 1 On Handout

Old Immigrants: WASPs!

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, most immigrants came from Northern Europe, in particular Britain, Ireland, Germany & Scandinavia

The descendents of these ‘old immigrants’ were generally White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestants and became known as WASPs

They viewed themselves as ‘natives’ and thus better than other Americans and immigrants

The Dillingham CommissionFrom 1900-1920, the numbers of these immigrants soared

The Dillingham Commission, began its work in 1907 and concluded that from the 1890s onwards, immigrants had come mainly from Southern and Eastern Europe

It was claimed that immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe posed a serious threat to American society and culture and should therefore be greatly reduced

The commission's overall findings provided the

rationale for the politically and

economically inspired immigration

restriction acts of the 1920s, which favoured

immigration from northern and western

Europe

Away with you

beggars!The New Immigrants

These ‘new immigrants’ were from Southern and Eastern Europe (Russia, Poland & Italy) where people tended to be poorer (escaping poverty; persecution; unemployment) and of a different religion to the WASP countries

They also stood out as they stuck together; wore native dress & spoke their own languages. The WASPs were not happy as they feared that their culture would be replaced!

Problem One:Religious Antagonism: Catholicism

Before 1830 the USA had been almost exclusively Protestant but by 1860 the number of Catholics exceeded 3 million which was one tenth of the population!

A significant proportion of immigrants were Roman Catholic – Irish, Italians and Hispanics

IRISH

The attachment to Catholicism generated cohesion among Irish

Americans and American protestants

Irish immigrants were confronted with demeaning stereotypes and violent anti-Catholic PREJUDICES as WASPs

commonly assumed that the Irish were ignorant, filthy, clannish people

incapable of integration

By 1913 there were 1.25 million Jews in New York’s city’s lower east side and were nick-named ‘Kikes’

Hostility was directed against Jewish immigrants particularly those who, once they had settled, became successful and prosperous

Even Henry ford bought a local newspaper and used it as a vehicle for attacking Jews

The articles in Ford's newspaper blamed the Jews for everything from the Bolshevik Revolution to bootlegged liquor. They also accused the Jews of conspiring to enslave Christianity and destroy the "Anglo-Saxon" way of life

Jews suffered discrimination in employment and became targets for the KKK

Problem Two:Religious Antagonism: Anti-Semitism

New Immigrants Were..• It was easy to see the immigrants as being ‘different’• Many were ROMAN CATHOLIC or JEWISH (not protestant)• Many had left non-democratic societies & mistrusted the

government (this was seen as a threat to American Constitution)• Their physical appearance frightened native-born Americans

(different language & dress)

Old Immigrants ‘Native’ Americans

WASPs

Celtic , Anglo-Saxon, Nordic races

Protestant

Old Immigrants

New Immigrants

Illiterate and more appeared so as they

could not speak English

Slavic and Latin races

Jewish and Catholic

Unfamiliar with democracy. They were

communist, socialist and anarchists

…and because of this they were an easy target for ill informed prejudice and racism by ‘native’ Americans

Nativism Grew…The effect of high levels of immigration

increased the WASPs sense of superiority and their determination to maintain racial “purity”

Academics and some politicians even claimed to have ‘scientific’ evidence that the new immigrants from Southeast Europe were racially inferior

In Woodrow Wilson’s History of the American People in 1902, he even compared the ‘men of the sturdy stock of the north of Europe’ with the ‘more sordid and hopeless elements.’

They were afraid that new immigrants would destroy American culture and many activists were pledged to protect the purity of the American ideal...

This Clearly Shows That Bigotry, Prejudice And Racism Gave Rise To The

Soon To Be Passed Anti-immigration Legislation

The KKK• Had died out in 1870s but reformed in Georgia

in 1915

• In true nativist tradition it focused on the evils of Catholicism and anti-Semitic propaganda

• The KKK naturally appealed to the WASPs who believed that their dream of America was about to be shattered

• By 1924 the KKK were openly parading through the streets of Washington D.C.

• The Klan’s appeal spread from the south to the western and northern states, where Catholics and Jews, as well as blacks became the target of their threats and violence

Hiram Wesley Evans

Nativist OrganisationsEvans spoke out against the “vast

horde of immigrants who have reached our

shores…Italian immigrants, Irish

catholic malcontents, Russian Jews, Finns, Letts, Lithuanians of

the lowest class”

These Groups Are A Real Reflection Of The Extent Of Anti-alienism In

The USA At The Time

1. The Emergency Immigration Act 1921

This Quota Act was designed to restrict new immigrants.

This law imposed an annual limit on immigration from any European country, limiting to 3% of the number of nationals from that country who were living in the USA in 1911.

This favoured immigrants from ‘Old Immigrant’ countries and kept out ‘New Immigrants’.

Perhaps the most obvious example that shows just how important PREJUDICE AND RACISM was in the

changing attitudes towards immigration can be shown through the passing of 2 Acts:

2. National Origins Act 1924The proportion from each country was lowered to 2%

based on the sizes of national groups at the time of the 1890 census

In 1929 only 120,000 immigrants a year were allowed into the USA and 85% of all places were reserved for Northern and Western Europe.

All this information proves that it was not necessarily the number of immigrants coming in that America’s

objected to, but where they came from, making racism &

prejudice a very important factor!

OPENING ARGUMENT

It can be argued that prejudiced and racist views towards new immigrants was a key factor behind changing attitudes

towards immigration in the USA.

KNOWLEDGE 1

• Who were the Old Immigrants & why were they welcomed?

• Why type of immigrant came from 1880’s+

ARGUMENT 1

• ‘It can be argued that is important because…

• What did this make the ‘old’ immigrants feel?

• What was set up because of this?

• What did it make them want to do/get passed?

PREJUDICE AND RACISM

PREJUDICE AND RACISM

KNOWLEDGE 2• Anti-immigration

laws showed a clear sign of what?

• KU about the 2 Acts:

• 1921 Emergency Immigration Acts

• 1924 National Origins Act

ARGUMENT 2• This clearly shows…

• Not necessarily the no. of immigrants coming in that they objected to, but… what?

• How did the laws do this? (what has the percentage got to do with it?)

PREJUDICE AND RACISM

Evaluation

• Prejudice and racism is thus one of the most important factors in changing attitudes towards immigration as it resulted in what happening/a cut in the number of what from where?

PLAN FOR PARAGRAPH 1Racism & Prejudice Changing Attitudes

1. Put in Knowledge – discuss the change from old to new immigrants (how did they differ?)

2. Put in Analysis – argue that this changed attitudes to immigration because… (What did the Dillingham Commission show? Why did the old immigrants worry? What grew because of this)

3. Knowledge – discuss that the change in attitude resulted in anti-immigration acts such as…

4. Analysis – explain how these acts show that racism was behind changing attitudes towards immigration (think percentages)

PLAN FOR PARAGRAPH 1Racism & Prejudice Changing Attitudes

1. Start with an Opening Argument e.g. state what the link is between the isolated factor & the question

2. Put in Knowledge – discuss the change from old to new immigrants (how did they differ?)

3. Put in Analysis – argue that this changed attitudes to immigration because… (What did the Dillingham Commission show? Why did the old immigrants worry? What grew because of this)

4. Knowledge – discuss that the change in attitude resulted in anti-immigration acts such as…

5. Analysis – explain how these acts show that racism was behind changing attitudes towards immigration (think percentages)

6. Evaluation – sum up why this is an important factor in explaining why attitudes changed toward immigration

Example Paragraph