Immigration Dbq

Immigration DBQ

Between 1880 and 1925 tensions grew in America because of immigration. The tensions were caused by underlying racism and disgruntled workers that believed that the new immigrants were taking their jobs, and taking over the workplace and politics. Thus leading to more strict regulations on immigration.

In the late 1800’s, the federal government was more sided with the business interests in America rather than the worker interests. Puck magazine released a political cartoon in 1880 that shows the “US Ark Refuge”, welcoming all immigrants with promises of free education, free land, free speech, and free ballots (Doc A). Because most immigrants came to America in search of work, they were unemployed and were willing to work for lower wages than other American citizens. Many immigrant workers would come to make money, to either send back to their families, or would then travel back to their native countries, and even take American ideas back with them (Doc B). To the business owners, it was a given to hire the immigrants because it meant a larger profit for them. If the American workers went on strike for higher wages, the business owners would fire them all and bring in scabs, usually immigrants who accepted lower wages, to fill the spot. It was a no-brainer for the owners because it ends the strike and they now pay the new workers less than the Americans before them. This lead to the American workers feeling as if they were being forced out of the workplace by the immigrants. This led to the anti-immigration plank of the Populist Party’s platform. The National People’s Party criticized the immigration regulations, stating that they “open our ports to the pauper and criminal classes of the worlds and crowds out our wage-earners” (Doc C).

Immigrants were also gaining political power. In 1908 in Boston, the mayor’s office and other positions were filled by former immigrants. Most of which were of Irish ancestry. In congress, the Irish, such as “O’Connell, Kelihar, Sullivan, and McNary were following in the footsteps of Webster, Sumner, Adams, and Hoar.” (Doc F) Because of the “rise to power” of a minority group, many Americans believed that the government was being led by foreigners. It was not just issues between the “white, anglo-saxon, protestant” Americans and the new immigrants. African Americans also had disputes and increased tensions with the new immigrants. Booker T. Washington also felt that the new immigrants were taking the few opportunities that the African Americans had at the time. Many African Americans realized that the new immigrants were allowed rights that they were not even granted yet, and they felt that this not right. Immigrants were promised free education, free land, free speech, and free ballots (Doc A), almost all of which were not yet granted to most African Americans. They believed that the jobs that the immigrants were taking should be filled by African Americans. Washington said “Cast down your bucket where you are. Cast it down down among the eight millions of Negroes whose habits you know…”(Doc D) He promotes African Americans American rights, but he also touches on the racist feelings that were deeply rooted in some Americans between 1880 to 1925. Madison Grant’s The Passing of the Great Race promoted the idea that Anglo-Saxon’s were the prime race, and that America must depend on this “prime race” for leadership. (Doc G) There were riots between African Americans and immigrants, just as there were riots between whites and the new immigrants. The racist feelings lead to the appearance of the Ku Klux Klan once again. The KKK was