b
y the second half of the nineteenth century, the United States had
become an immensely diverse nation. Immigration from northern
Europe in the early nineteenth century had been bolstered by immi-
gration from Asia and southern and eastern Europe throughout the
mid- to late nineteenth century. These immigrants added to the vari-
ous white, African American, Native American, and Hispanic peoples who had
occupied the North American continent for centuries.
Many Americans assumed that diversity was temporary and that the assimi-
lation of these new Americans would ultimately turn the United States into one
vast amalgamation of cultures. This belief was based on the expectation that
immigrants and their descendants would embrace the economic, social, and
political structures of the predominantly white, northern European American
majority. This assimilation process continued throughout this period but not
without conflict and resistance.Seeking the Main Point
As you read the documents that follow, keep these broad questions in mind.
These questions will help you understand the relationship between the doc-
uments in this chapter and the historical changes that they represent. As you
reflect on these questions, determine which themes and which documents best
address them.•
Consider the effect of white American migration on native populations in
the West. In what ways were the effects of this migration different from the
effects of eastern European migration to American cities?•
In what ways did social reformers try to solve the various problems related
to migration within and to the United States during this period?•
How did migration to the West raise debates about land use and natural
resources?328 chaPTEr 14 | the throes oF assimiLation | period six 1865 –1898 ToPI c I | the Western War against native peoples^32915_STA_2012_ch14_327-342.indd 328 31/03/15 4:20 PM