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Immigration 265-
in the mid-1800s, many chinese people crossed the
Pacific to california in search of gold. they were met
with violent anti-chinese protests, unfair taxes, and
laws to stop further immigration. however, labor
shortages on the railroads led american companies
to hire chinese workers, who helped build the
country’s first transcontinental railroad line in 1869.religious freedom
many people came to america seeking the freedom to
practice their chosen religion, a right guaranteed by
the first amendment to the constitution. in colonial
times, religious groups such as the Quakers and the
Puritans fled from harsh treatment in england and
founded settlements in the new World. more than two
and a half million Jews from eastern europe emigrated
to the united states between 1880 and 1920, to escape
ethnic and religious persecution.fleeing famine and Poverty
more than seven million people entered the us
between 1820 and 1870, mostly from northern
and western europe. about one-third were irish,
seeking escape from a famine brought on by
potato crop failures in the 1840s. another third
were from germany, where political unrest forced
thousands to flee. While most new immigrants
settled on the east coast, many germans traveled
to the rich farmlands in the middle of the country.the great Wave
from the early 1900s to the great
depression of the 1930s, a huge
wave of immigrants—more than
30 million people—poured into
the united states from every part
of the world. many came from
europe, where economic troubles,
political changes, and restrictive
religious laws drove them to seek
new homes and new lives elsewhere.Eastern European
immigrants seek
a new life in the
United States, 1900.Chinese immigrants work
on the railroad in California.the first immigrants
most of the early colonists who settled in what became the united states
came from england in the 17th and 18th centuries. some of these early
immigrants could not afford the travel costs and came as indentured
servants. these people agreed to work for a fixed number of years to pay
for their passage, food, clothing, and lodging.from the arrival of the first colonists in the 1600s,
the united states has been a nation of immigrants. People from all over the
world have come to the us, contributing to its rich ethnic heritage. some
hoped to escape poverty, war, or discrimination in their native lands, while
others came to find adventure, a fresh start, and new opportunities. at
first, the united states encouraged immigration—there were roads
and railroads to be built, factories to run, and jobs to fill as the
nation flourished. as the numbers of immigrants began to rise
dramatically, however, pressure grew to limit the flow of
newcomers and the first immigration laws were enacted.ImmIgratIon
Reenacting a Pilgrim
harvest at Plymouth
Rock, MAUS_265_Immigration_1.indd 265 21/01/16 5:00 pm