Chapter One COMING TO AMERICA The United States has always been a land of immigrants Pilgrims came in the 1500s to start new lives Businesspeople and religious leaders came in the 1600s to start new colonies In the 1700s slave traders forced Africans to immigrate to the country to tend crops The 1800s saw a boom of immigrants from Ireland and gold seekers from China But the number of immigrants who came to America’s shores in the early 1900s was truly amazing From about 1880 to 1920 nearly 30 million immigrants flooded into the United States Shipload after shipload of immigrants docked on America’s East Coast Most of the immigrants who arrived in the early 1900s came from southern and eastern European countries They arrived from places such as Poland Hungary Italy Germany and Greece These new immigrants were young often between 15 and 30 years old Many spoke no English and had nothing but the clothes they brought with them and the change in their pockets
The S S Konigin Luise was one of the many ships immigrants crowded onto to reach the United States in the early 1900s
Why People Came to America Several world events caused the major boom in immigration in the early 1900s Many European countries were experiencing land shortages poor economies or war People left their homelands to escape discrimination because of their race religion or political beliefs Crops were failing and families were starving People came to America in hopes of a better life Immigrants were attracted to the idea of independence in America The Declaration of Independence says All men are created equal It also promises Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness People took comfort in these words Newcomers believed America was a land of opportunity Number of ImmiGRANTS TO THE UNITED STATES Per Decade thousands 10 000 9 000 8 000 7 000 6 000 5 000 4 000 3 000 2 000 1 000 American recruiters helped spread the idea that opportunities were plentiful Businesses sent recruiters to Europe offering jobs to skilled workers Railroad
companies also advertised overseas They promoted cheap farmland and work opportunities MINNESOTA CURE FOR THE PANIC Emigrate to Minnesota Where no Banks exist a supension is unknown Land and Water of best kind No Ague and Fever there CLAIMS can be made by rich and poor THE MAN OF SMALL MEANS CAN SOON REACH COMPETENCY Climate dry and healthy The rich respect and assist the poor all labor together The finest Lands are open to pre emption Saint Paul is the great stopping place From there you can go to any point as emigrant settlers start daily to the various Laud Olioes and Districts T B W Thos E Sctroy Printer 142 Falton Street New York Advertisements such as this one boasting of the wonders of Minnesota drew immigrants to midwestern states
