Immigration in the United States: 1800-1880 and 1891-1914…
Millions upon millions of individuals immigrated to this nation, in awesome waves, from the years 1800-1910. Historians divide this phenomenon into two categories – old immigrants and new immigrants. Not exactly poetry, but it works! The United States is a nation of immigrants, there is no arguing that; but original immigration, early 1600s to late 1750s, was for the specific purpose of colonizing and sending resources back to a “mother” nation. After the War of Independence the United States became a haven to many in Europe and other parts of the world. It offered the idea of freedom, hope, and a better life. These people are the individuals historians think of as immigrants – the individuals who built our great nation.
Old Immigrants: immigrants entering the U.S. from 1800-1880
Census Records
Keeping track of time! This page offers the user United States (U.S.) census records, in ten year increments, of course! It highlights each of the years “old immigrants” came to the U.S. from 1800-1880. It includes a state data base that the user can go directly to if he/she only wants to research specific geographical areas. Good for grades 9-12 and teachers. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://www.familygenealogyrecords.com/category.asp?cat=census
“Old Immigrants”
Coming to America to work and colonize! This page provides the user with general information about “old immigrants” and their contributions to the U.S. It also offers links to other sites with detailed information about a specific decade, topic, and resources. Good for grades 9-12 and teachers. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/19thcentury1880.htm
Immigration and the Guilded Age
What did the poor, uneducated do while the rich tarried and played? This page provides the user with information about the “old immigrants” to the U.S. during the Guilded Age of America. But it does not stop there! It is also a useful page for other topics in history during different time periods. It is geared for the teacher with lesson plans and power point presentations at the ready; but would also be excellent for student research and general information. Excellent for grades 9-12 and teachers. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://www.besthistorysites.net/USHistory_GildedAge.shtml
Irish and Eastern European New Immigrants:immigrants entering the U.S. from 1830s-1910 (These individuals make up the bulk of the immigrants to the U.S. after 1787, mostly Irish; they are also the first to participate in an organized immigrant tracking system.)
“New Immigrants”
This page, mentioned in the “old immigrants” section, will also provide vast information regarding “new immigrants.” The site offers primary source documents, explanation for the need of an immigrant work force, immigrant contribution to society, and the advent of the immigrant political machine to name a few. It also offers links to other sites with detailed information about a specific decade, topic, and resources. Good for grades 9-12 and teachers. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/19thcentury1880.htm
Immigration in America
This site, also mentioned in the “old immigrants” section, will provide varied information regarding “new immigrants.” A focus on Irish immigration, ports of entry, and immigrant contributions can be found. It is geared for the teacher with lesson plans and power point presentations at the ready; but would also be excellent for student research and general information. Excellent for grades 9-12 and teachers. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://www.besthistorysites.net/USHistory_GildedAge.shtml
The Potato Blight
What caused all of those potatoes to rot in the ground? This site offers the user an answer to that question and others! It’s actually a science site that focuses on the potato blight of Ireland in the mid and late1800’s causing the Irish Diaspora to America. It is a good link to integration between science and history. Good for grades 6-10 and teachers too! Date visited: 5/29/05
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu:16080/Toms_fungi/m2001alt.html
Potatoes and Immigration
This site offers the user population information of Ireland in the mid 1800’s and the potato blight that lead to Irish Diaspora to America. It also gives information on emigration to England and the control of English landlords over the Irish residents. Good for grades 6-8 and teachers planning a short lesson on potato famine history – maps, charts, and pictures excellent! Date visited: 5/29/05
http://www.mapspictures.com/ireland/history/ireland_population.htm
Italian Immigration
Who else immigrated to America? This site is based on a week of lessons surrounding Italian immigration in the late 1800’s. It provides the teacher with background information and four days of intense lesson plans complete with objectives, links, and activities. Good for teachers of grades 10-12 and/or honors classes. Date visited: 5/29/05
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1999/3/99.03.06.x.html
Ellis Island: Activity
How did an immigrant enter the United States of America? Teachers – check out this web site and have yourself a ready made interactive lesson about Ellis Island and the immigration of Russian Jews, Italians, German Jews, Irish, and other Eastern European immigrants. The site also brings to light the Statue of Liberty’s monumental importance as a symbol of freedom from tyranny and autocracy. Great for teachers of grades 9-12; but also contains a few lessons for levels 5-8. Date visited: 5/29/05
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/EllisIsland.htm
Tour Ellis Island
Tour the island of entry for the brave and inspired! This outstanding site allows the user to tour Ellis Island – the main port of entry for 80-90 percent of the new immigrants entering the U.S. The site takes the user from arrival through eventual (and hopeful!) release into the “new world.” It contains lesson plans for teachers, pictures, uplinks, audio, video, and photo links. It’s an exceptional site for teachers, but I think the main focus is on the student. Outstanding for grades 6-12. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/stop1.htm
The Medical Exam
Who will be able to stay, and who will have to return? This page, developed by a sixth grader, leads the user through the first steps after arrival at Ellis Island – the medical exam! It offers an explanation of the exams that were given to new arrivals and a chart of identification marks used; it also explains the government’s need and desire for some type of medical, legal, and mental accountability for new arrivals to the U.S. Good for grades 6-8. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://library.thinkquest.org/5101/exam.htm
Find a “Link”
Do you have a “link” to an Ellis Island arrival? This page can help the user find a “link” to an immigrant relative who arrived on the shores of America through Ellis Island. Users need only log in and provide a name and approximate year of arrival and information will be available. One can also add their family’s or that relative’s name to the “wall of honor” at the Ellis Island monument at Ellis Island, New York. Good for all to peruse! Date visited: 5/25/05
http://www.ellisisland.org/
Ellis Island History
This site gives the user general information regarding Ellis Island – its history, genealogical research, a timeline of immigrant arrivals, and even event information. The site is useful for all ages! Date visited: 5/25/05
http://www.ellisisland.com/
How the Other Half Lives
Who had the better life – the immigrant or the native? This site offers general and specific information regarding tenement living in New York during the high days of the new immigrants. Lifestyles, housing, jobs, the “town” system (i.e. - Jewtown, Chinatown, etc.), and the plight of children are highlighted. The information in the site was compiled through documents written and photographs taken by Jacob Riis, the self-appointed savior of the working class immigrant. It is an excellent site for teachers (who wish to develop a research lesson) and high school students grades 10-12. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://www.cis.yale.edu/amstud/inforev/riis/title.html
Tenement Living
This excellent site focuses on the immigrant in New York City during the early part of the 20th century. The site gives general information but also offers photos and a first hand account of the infamous Triangle Factory Fire in 1911. Good for grades 6-12 and teachers who wish to develop a lesson. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snpim2.htm
New York Tenement Life
Is “Gangs of New York” accurate? This site offers the user a detailed account of immigrant tenement life in New York City – from Five Points to Hell’s Kitchen. It offers photos and first hand accounts of - apartments, sanitation issues, child labor, newsboys, childhood perils, sweatshops, and seasonal life, to name just a few. Photographs by Jacob Riis – the self-appointed savior of the immigrant poor – are highlighted, as are several web links dealing with many different topics. Good for grades 10-12 and teachers planning a lesson. Date visited: 5/25/05
http://thehistorybox.com/ny_city/tenement_life_nycity.htm
Urban America
Want to put some spark in your lesson? This site is geared for someone who teaches history to eighth through tenth graders. It’s an interactive web site highlighting urban tenement living in New York City – specifically on 97 Orchard Street. After reading the assignment students may just to the web activity and respond to specific questions. Their questions will then be commented upon by the teacher. It seems like a pretty cool site for a teacher who needs a thirty minute activity in the computer lab! Good for grades 8-10. Date visited: 5/29/05
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/ushistory/tar22005/content.php4/314/5
Background Notes
Clearly the bane of all social studies students’ existence, but important none the less…notes! This site offers an excellent outline of notes focusing on: old immigrants, new immigrants, immigrant life, immigrant workers, the Populist Party, and the Guilded age to name a few. It would be an excellent site to introduce the student to the background information so necessary when studying a specific time period in history. Good for grades 10-12 and teachers planning a lecture lesson. Date visited: 5/29/05
http://www.richmondhillhs.org/ourpages/omalley/H6_notes_Unit_1.pdf#search='sweatshopslate1800s
The Mid 1800s linked to Urban America
Another great background information site with a questionable twist! Were sweatshops, in the mid 1800s, misogynistic? Hmm…something to wonder and have your students explore. This site gives the user information on the sweatshops of yore and compares and contrasts them to the modern day sweatshops of Wal-Mart, Nike, and other American icons. It gives the user great background notes, while Venn diagramming current and past sweatshop practices, all the while weaving in the idea of misogyny and economics! I found this site excellent for the honors and/or AP teacher. Good for grades 11-12 honors or AP student and teacher planning a lesson. Date visited: 5/29/05
http://cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/nike/sweatshops_overview.htm
Sweatshops – an urban blight
This site is great for a detailed lesson on the Progressive Movement in the late 1800s. It includes information on sweatshops, immigrant poor, the progressive movement proponents, Boss Tweed, and get more and more detailed with other information links throughout the readings. Encarta divides the site into three general areas and includes excellent photos too. Good for grades 6-8 and teachers planning a lesson – long or short! Date visited: 5/29/05
http://encarta.msn.com/Sweatshop.html
Triangle Factory Fire
Why did all of those young women die that fateful day in March? Using this site will give the teacher and student wonderful interactive information regarding the infamous Triangle Factory Fire in New York City on March 25, 1911. It’s an excellent site for a two day (or more!) lesson focusing on the tragedy itself and the advent of the Women’s Garment Union led by Rose Schniederman. Good for grades 9-12 and teachers planning an interactive lesson. Date visited: 5/29/05
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/
The Triangle Factory Fire Trial
Is “closure” always necessary? Yes! In this case closure was of the utmost importance, for it became precedent in all future union negotiations and dealings of the early 1900’s. This site gives the user background information, maps, NY City fire code laws, trial excerpts, newspaper accounts, and trial summations, as well as actual photos of the burned building and the victims. Good for grades 9-12 and teachers concluding a lesson on the fire itself. Date visited: 5/29/05
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/triangle/trianglefire.html
Matewan
A tragedy that will lead to organized labor – a lesson that will identify the subject matter with labor unions in general. This site focuses on Matewan, WV – the small town where a mining tragedy leads to the advent of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) one of the strongest labor unions in the country. This page is the home page to the town, but gives wonderful information about the town itself, the infamous Hatfield-McCoy Feud and the Battle of Matewan. Great for the teacher planning a lesson on labor unions and for the student researcher – grades 9-12. Date visited: 5/29/05.
http://www.matewan.com/
Enjoy this site bibliography…and…for heaven’s sake…use it!