Coming to America: Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Pioneers of the Century of Immigration: Irish, Germans, and Scandinavians

Period between 1812 and 1924. The main difference between the immigrants that is noted in this chapter is as follows, immigrants were either rural or urban depending on the years they immigrated into the United States. Some of these immigrants’ occupations had changed dramatically and that was due to the American economy and society like it is today when the economy is down…many people go back into school and switch majors so they may easily find a better job opportunity that fits their financial needs. Immigration numbers dramatically decreased, although there were many immigrants, so this was definitely miscounted and the numbers don’t represent the correct amount of people coming in and out. Many people were not counted for depending on the route they took to come to the U.S., while others it was chain migration, tourist visas, coming back and forth, and illegal immigration. Better transportation had greatly affected immigration because it was now quicker to emigrate large groups of people from one place to another. Many were migrating from Asia, Many Irish people also not due to the Famine, which is most people think that was the reasoning behind it, but rather because Ireland lost an innumerable amount of people in their population.  Some people did not marry or bear children, so the population was not increasingly growing as expected. 1/12 Irish would return back to their home which quite frankly is not surprising because they’ve settled and worked hard for a better life here in the U.S. The U.S also has better opportunities and standard of living is significantly higher than most countries. The British Passenger Acts had made it a lot cheaper to migrate to Canada than it was to the U.S so that had gotten many people to migrate there instead. As I viewed the table of Immigrants from Ireland on pg. 129, I was shocked to see how the percentage of total immigration decreased dramatically within ten year increments. After the war, which is in the year of 1812, Irish people did not immigrate in large family groups. Many of the Irish were living in an urban environment; they certainly did not have the skills or money to own their own farm or be prepared to work in the American agriculture here in the U.S. Most were not educated and did not know the trade. It was very difficult for them to adjust and find skills that would contribute the American society after immigrating here. The workers were pretty much in the bottom of society. Germans had come for economic reasons which wasn’t surprising to tell you the truth, nor were they proud in the German achievements back home and sought to find a way to reach America. Modernization definitely benefited them at this time and many women were housewives who were expected to cook, clean and look after the kids. Cholera had killed the poorest immigrants before even arriving to their destination. These people were very close to the Church and held closely their ideologies, traditions and religion. Norwegians came due to land hunger and population pressures as well as religious intolerance in Norwegian which is really outrageous and it was a great decision for them to move into the U.S and escape those issues.