Immigration Basics
What name is given to the large waves of newcomers arriving in the U.S. during the mid-1800s primarily from Ireland and Germany?
Immigrants
Would “famine or starvation at home” be considered a push factor or a pull factor?
Push
What term describes overcrowded, multi-family housing often used by immigrant families in growing cities?
Tenements
What is the term for favoring people born in a country over immigrants?
Nativism
Explain the difference between a “push factor” and a “pull factor.”
Push factors force people to leave a place
Pull factors attract people to a new place
What was the main entry point for many European immigrants arriving on the East Coast?
Would “belief in political freedom and ability to vote” in America be a push or pull factor?
Pull
Name one common problem that many immigrants faced living in urban tenements.
Poor sanitation, disease, overcrowding, fire risk, or lack of clean water
What was the political party in the 1850s known for anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic views?
The Know-Nothing Party
What does “nativism” mean?
Belief that native-born citizens should be favored over immigrants
Many immigrants traveled in a crowded part of the ship below deck. What was this section called?
Steerage
If a factory opens up and needs many workers, is that a push or pull factor for immigrants?
Pull
What is the term for when a population shifts from rural areas to cities, causing city growth?
Urbanization
True or False: The Know-Nothing Party supported easy and quick naturalization for immigrants.
False
What does “assimilation” mean in the context of immigration?
Adopting the culture/language of the majority society
Name one major cause that drove many Irish families to leave Ireland in the 1840s–50s.
Potato Famine
A government or homeland becomes unsafe due to violence or war — push or pull factor?
Push
Why did many immigrants and new workers continue to live in tenements rather than better housing?
They were cheap and close to factory jobs
What are two reasons nativists opposed large waves of immigration in the 1800s?
Job competition
Fear of cultural/religious differences (especially Catholicism)
What does the term persecution mean, and how did it affect immigrants coming to America in the 1800s?
Persecution means being treated unfairly or harshly because of your beliefs, religion, or identity. Many immigrants came to America to escape religious or political persecution in their home countries.
Why did immigrants often choose to settle in U.S. cities rather than rural areas or farms?
Jobs were available in growing industries and factories
A letter or story sent back home describes good jobs and hope in America, how does this act as a pull factor?
Positive letters/stories encouraging migration
What are two major social or health issues that arose in rapidly growing 19th-century cities?
Crime, fire hazards, pollution, disease outbreaks, sewage problems, overcrowding
Name one effect (social or political) the nativist movement had on immigrants’ lives during that era.
Immigrants faced discrimination, difficulty getting jobs, longer naturalization requirements, or hostility/violence
What does economic opportunity mean in the context of immigration?
The chance to find better jobs, earn more money, or improve one’s standard of living.