History of America IMMIGRANTS TO AMERICA Written by Linda Thompson Rourke Educational Media rourkeeducationalmedia com Scan for Related Titles and Teacher Resources
Chapter 1 america a melting pot Everyone in the United States of America is an immigrant or has descended from immigrants This is true even of Native Americans whose ancestors crossed a land bridge that once existed between Asia and Alaska more than 100 centuries ago Pilgrims from England conquistadors from Spain missionaries from France the Dutch colonists and the slaves they brought from Africa all came to America from somewhere else The ancestors of Native Americans crossed a landbridge from Russia to Alaska 15,000 years ago 4
OREGON TERRITORY 1846 CEDED BY MEXICO 1848 ESTABLISHED 1818 LOUISIANA PURCHASE 1803 GADSDEN PURCHASE 1853 TEXAS ANNEXED 1845 From 1776 to Map of major land additions to the continental United States UNITED STATES PRIOR TO 1803 CEDED BY SPAIN 1819 1853 the United States went from a cluster of 13 small colonies to what would become today’s lower 48 states As it grew millions of people came to this vast new country from all over the world People of every race and religion came speaking hundreds of languages bringing their labor and skills to help build a civilization They built railroads canals bridges sewers ports and subways They worked as tenant farmers producing food for the expanding nation and many acquired their own farms They worked in factories sewing clothes and making machinery Children born in the United States were citizens from the start but their immigrant parents had to learn English and study hard to become citizens And thousands of immigrants proudly fought in wars to defend their adopted land 5
