Clarence Roberts, Jr.
In essence the promise of immediate employment, political and economic freedom were more than enough reasons to entice immigrants to emigrate to the United States. People that had given up all hopes of ever lifting themselves up under their previous conditions. Immigrants, from abroad, fled to the United States seeking opportunities promised them by relatives, friends, agents and a thriving industry. Improvements in steamship transportation helped to ease the fears of the journey.
When there was a shortage of labor the immigrants were welcomed. When the demand for laborers dryed up so did the welcome dry up. The new immigrants now became competition for the existing population.
Xenophobia created a united appeal to the government to stop and/or curtail this flow. Xenophobia also helped to develop attitudes of prejudice, hatred, exclusion and racism. In spite of this most European—in the end—were allowed the freedom and mobility necessary to assimilate if they desired to do so.
Blacks, on the other hand, partly because their physical features set them apart were not allowed this opportunity. blacks were allowed the freedom to grow and prosper only within the boundaries of the black community.
The inmigration of blacks were sparked by conditions similar to those of the European immigrants. That is, in the south blacks occupied the lowest strata of society with virtually no hope of overcoming that situation.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this unit is to afford students the opportunity to learn more about their country by understanding the ethnic groups that make it up. For our purpose we will look at the three above mentioned groups as they arrived in the urban, industrialized cities of the north.
OBJECTIVES
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1.
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To know how three ethnic groups were introduced to urban, industrialize, northern cities.
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2.
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To understand how these groups were greeted and accepted be the “native born” Americans.
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3.
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To know how successful they were in assimilating with that “native born” population.
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4.
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To understand how economic developments in the United States influenced immigration.
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5.
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To understand how immigrants influenced economic, political and social change in America.
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To compare how three different ethnic groups confronted and responded to similar conditions in society and overcame them.
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7.
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To be able to discuss the effects of prejudice, xenophobia and fear of job security on the population.
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8.
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To gain an appreciation of the contributions made by these three groups towards the development of the United States.
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SKILLS
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To understand and use vocabulary words associated with the topic under study.
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2.
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To compare and contrast.
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To read and interpret maps, graphs and pictographs.
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4.
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To be able to use a variety of reference materials to research a topic.
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5.
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To be able to identify landforms and bodies of water associated with the area under study.
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APPROACH
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Discussion (of materials from text, magazines and/or their sources depending on the material available at the individual school).
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Discussion and study of maps and graphs.
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3.
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Readings from text and other materials.
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4.
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Oral and/or written reports.
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PROCEDURE
During the study of the United States (the land of immigrants) assign—as homework—the task of looking up for discussion on inscription written on the Statue of Liberty. Introduce unit with a discussion of what the inscription meant to post Civil War, industrial American (U.S.). Also discuss what it meant to the immigrants that read it as they passed.
The first week of the unit should be dedicated to introducing the lesson, providing background material and meeting with students to discuss and assign research topics that will be due the final week.
