| | The late 1800s was a time of great prosperity as well as cultural change. It can also be associated as a dark part of American history where the Unites States took over native lands through federal policy and killed countless people all in the name of progress. With industrialization on the horizon employers needed cheap labor to work for little pay. Between 1877 and 1900 12 million immigrants flooded into the United States seeking jobs, opportunities, and a better life (Barnes-Bowles 2015). With the influx of immigrants brought new beliefs, job competition, and people willing to work for lower wages. Their ethnic background also played a part in their jobs in America. Native-born Americans saw this as a threat to their way of life, and the cultural tension rose from there. Perhaps no one had it as bad at the Chinese. In 1875 Congress barred the entrance of Chinese women into the united stated. Again in 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which established a 10-year ban on all Chinese labor immigration (Barnes-Bowles 2015). In 1897 Immigration Restriction League attempted to bar illiterate people from entering America (Barnes-Bowles 2015). The Immigrants were seen as inferior to many native-born Americans. This in partly the reason that they formed their own neighborhoods mimicking their homelands. In the larger cities on the east coast, they stayed in packed housing called tenement houses, sometimes cramming their whole families into one room (Shrock, 2004). The latter half of the 1800 was filled with discontent for the immigrants who were “stealing” jobs. Millions of people flooded the Unites States for a multitude of reasons. Some came to escape religious persecution, others famine, and some wanted to make money and return home rich. Stories spread of how great America is with plenty of wealth for everyone, sadly this was not the case. After leaving the grand buildings at Ellis Island they were met with the harsh truth. One immigrant said “the streets are not paved with gold, they are not paved at all, and I am expected to pave them” (as cited in Puleo, 2007). They were not treated well, they were not paid equal wages, and were forced to live in squander as it was all they could afford. Despite all the hardship they endured. Without the influx of cheap labor the industrial revolution and westward expansion would have gone much differently. The new steel mills would not have been able to produce materials like they did. The railroads would not have developed as quickly, leaving supply routes to the west few and far between. The gold rushes on the west coast would have taken longer as the bulk of the labor was accomplished by the Chinese.
Barnes, L. & Bowles, M. (2014). The American story: Perspectives and encounters from 1877. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Puleo, S. (2007). The Boston Italians: A story of pride, perseverance, and paesani, from the years of the great immigration to the present day. Boston: Beacon Press. Shrock, J. (2004). The Gilded Age. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. |
