Transcontinental Railroad
Between 1864 and 1869, the Central Pacific Railroad was constructed to enable continuous travel from the east coast to the west coast of the United States. Many of the railroad workers were Chinese immigrants.

Nativism
The belief that favors the native-born population over immigrants. In the late 19th century, nativism surged in the U.S., perhaps in response to the large immigrant influx. The sentiment sometimes contained religious and ethnic prejudice, as with anti-Catholic feelings toward Irish immigrants, but was more often about jobs and other economic benefits.

Great Plains
Grasslands of west central North America, these lands were settled by Europeans in the late 19th century. The railroad made these lands accessible, and waves of immigrants looking for inexpensive land arrived eager to farm them.

Statue of Liberty
Created to honor America's first centennial (1876), this giant statue of Lady Liberty holding her torch aloft was a gift from the French people to the American people. Americans helped by developing, and paying for, the statue's base.

Ellis Island immigration center
Built on an island in New York Harbor, Ellis Island was the main U.S. immigration center until its closing in 1954. At the peak of immigration, the center could process one million immigrants a day.

Chinese Exclusion Acts
A collection of federal laws passed between 1882 and 1902 to limit or prevent Chinese immigration to the U.S.

Emma Lazarus
The American poet who wrote the famous inscription on the Statue of Liberty, containing the well-known lines "Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, ."

Naturalization
The process of becoming a citizen in a new country. Immigrants could become U.S. citizens after living in America for a period of years and fulfilling other requirements. Children born in the United States., even those of immigrant parents, became citizens automatically.

Tammany Hall
New York City's Democratic political organization, which "bought" immigrant votes for its candidates by providing jobs, housing, and gifts.





At the turn of the 20th century, a wave of immigration swept America and changed the face of its population, industry, and culture. The labor demands of a thriving industrial economy helped drive immigration to record levels. Most newcomers were from southern and eastern Europe, although a significant number of Chinese immigrants came to build the transcontinental railroad. Many immigrants were skilled tradesmen, which caused resentment and protest among native-born tradesmen and other nativists. Others were unskilled workers who supported America's flourishing manufacturing industry, helped build its transportation system, and settled its Great Plains.

Immigrants—some 25 million between 1860 and 1920—mostly arrived by boat through New York Harbor. After 1886, they were greeted by the Statue of Liberty and, after 1892, examined at the Ellis Island immigration center. Most who stayed settled in New York or other cities, in urban neighborhoods organized by ethnic groups. As these groups were integrated into the larger culture, modern American society was forever transformed.


Some other things to think about: Why did some Americans oppose immigration? What role did immigration play in the development of a public school system? How did local political systems such as New York's Tammany Hall take advantage of immigrants for political gain? What cultural traditions did immigrants bring and how were these received in America?

The history of the Statue of Liberty.
Statue of Liberty National Monument
Statue of Liberty

Passage through Ellis Island.
Ellis Island

Different immigrant populations — their sources and destinations.
immigration

Nativism, its causes and political impact.
nativism

Immigration law at the turn of the century, including the Chinese Exclusion Acts.
ethnic minorities
Chinese Exclusion Acts

How the economy absorbed waves of immigrants.
Twentieth Century: Society in the United States
Tammany Hall

Living conditions for immigrants.
ethnic minorities

The road to naturalization and U.S. citizenship.
Naturalization
immigration


ethnic minorities
immigration
naturalization
Chinese Exclusion Acts
Hull House
Tammany Hall
nativism
Ellis Island
Statue of Liberty
Castle Clinton National Monument
Statue of Liberty National Monument
Addams, Jane
Lazarus, Emma
Twentieth Century: Society in the United States
United States, history of the (1850s–1960s)


 

INCORE: Conflict Data Service: Internet Country Guides: Russia
http://www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/
cds/countries/russia.html
Thorough guide to resources on conflicts and ethnicity within the Russian Federation (chiefly in the Caucasus). Includes databases, news media, papers, and more. From INCORE project on conflict research maintained by the UN Univ. and the Univ. of Ulster.

A Walk Around Brooklyn – Thirteen
http://www.wnet.org/brooklyn/
This virtual tour of Brooklyn includes historic information on its role in American immigrant experience, an interactive map, panoramic views, and a selection of links to related resources. Web companion to a Thirteen/WNET public television series.

A Scattering of Seeds – The Creation of Canada
http://www.whitepinepictures.com/seeds/
This Web site complements a 52-part TV series devoted to Canada's immigrants. Photos, diaries, and oral histories from the early French, Ukrainian, and Irish settlers to the more recent Chinese, Japanese, and Sikh immigrants. In English and in French.

Ellis Island
http://www.ellisisland.org
Information on the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and the American Family Immigration History Center. A search engine finds names and countries of origin from the Immigrant Wall of Honor. Sponsored by the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.

Map Collections Home Page
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/
Online map exhibit featuring Americana cartographic treasures at the Library of Congress. Organized into sections on cities, conservation and environment, exploration, immigration and settlement, military battles, transportation, and general area maps.

Issues: Immigration
http://www.vote-smart.org/
Project Vote Smart provides an array of documents, links, and opinions on immigration. A highly informative educational site.

STLI Table of Contents Page
http://www.nps.gov/stli/mainmenu.htm
The National Park Service's virtual tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island includes brief histories, photos, statistics, and descriptions of exhibits. There is also information for those planning actual visits.

New York State Archives Home Page
http://www.archives.nysed.gov/
Excellent Web site of the New York State Archives offers a searchable catalog and online exhibits of the archives' collections of documents, photos, and other records, a list of publications, frequently asked questions, and more.

Ellis Island
http://www.historychannel.com/ellisisland/
main.html
Outstanding online exhibit devoted to Ellis Island, with facts and figures, photos, audio and video clips, and more. Provided by the History Channel.

Early Films of New York, 1898–1906
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/papr/
nychome.html
Fascinating collection of 45 short films of early New York, including 20 produced by the Edison Company; viewable and downloadable. From the Paper Print Collection of the Library of Congress.

Jane Addams Hull–House Museum Home Page
http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/hull/hull_house.html
Web page of the Hull House Museum at the University of Illinois, Chicago, offers information on the museum, with links to biographical and bibliographical materials.

Castle Clinton National Monument
http://www.nps.gov/cacl/
Provided by the National Park Service, this Web site gives extensive information, including detailed visitor information, about Castle Clinton National Monument. Illustrated and linked to related information, the site is educational and useful.

Immigration, Ellis Island
http://cmp1.ucr.edu/exhibitions/
immigration_id.html
Images from California Museum of Photography document the arrival of immigrants to Ellis Island.

National Museum of American History
http://americanhistory.si.edu/
A great Web site to visit whether planning a trip or just taking a virtual tour. Descriptions of the museum, its holds and exhibitions, programs and activities. Provides online exhibits and links to other Smithsonian museums.

Jane Addams
http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/
janeadams.html
Profile of Jane Addams, with bibliography and list of links to related Web resources. Part of a Web site devoted to women's contributions to social sciences, maintained by Linda M. Woolf, associate professor of psychology at Webster Univ., St. Louis.

Jane Addams
http://www.gale.com/free_resources/
whm/bio/addams_j.htm
A biographical essay on Jane Addams, with a portrait photo and suggestions for further reading. Part of a Web section on women's history from the Gale Group, a reference publisher.

New American Studies Web
http://lumen.georgetown.edu/projects/asw/
Links to Web resources in the field of American Studies, organized by categories such as community studies, economy, environment, folklore, gender studies, literature, music, popular culture, race and ethnicity, visual culture, and so on.

American Literary Studies—Emma Lazarus
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/hasrg/
ablit/amerlit/emmalazarus.html
Description of the correspondence of Emma Lazarus held at Stanford University's Green Library. Brief biographical sketch; item descriptions; notes on access policies.