19th Century Immigrants:
During the 1800s through the 1920s immigrants from Poland, Italy, and many other European countries left their homes and came to the United States. Immigrants from all over Europe left their countries of origin for many reasons. For example many Eastern Europeans immigrated because of the tremendous population growth and also the country moving toward employing workers as wage laborers. Irish immigrants faced famine and poverty which was pushing people to leave Ireland. As for Germans, they were leaving Germany because of the political turmoil going on not only in Germany but in other countries as well ("United states immigration,”).
(This picture depicts the first march through Flanders Field during World War 1, in August 1914. Bettmann/Corbis)
(This picture depicts the first march through Flanders Field during World War 1, in August 1914. Bettmann/Corbis)
Jewish people were also leaving different parts of Europe and depending on when they left it could have been because of the lack of opportunities, economic reasons, prosecution, as well as the political issues taking place at the time (Library of Congress, 2010). Italians much like the Jewish and Irish immigrated to America because of the economic state that the country was in. Also the country was becoming overcrowded and jobs as well as opportunities soon became very scarce (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). Dutch immigrants were pushed to leave their country because of three terrible harvests of potato and rye, the reorganization of agriculture and also the restraint by the Dutch state (Schover, 2008).
(Jews arrested during Kristallnacht line up for roll call at Buchenwald, Jews were not only facing persecution but a horrible fate if they remained. Lorenz C. Schmuhl Papers, USHMM Archives)
Looking at the bigger picture many of the immigrants that came to America came here in order to get away from persecution, poverty, scarce opportunities in their countries, as well as political turmoil. People looked to America where people were free to be who they were and were fascinated by the city that was paved with gold streets where opportunity and land were prosperous ("United states immigration,”) & (Danzer, Klor de Alva, Krieger, Wilson & Woloch, 2008).
(Jews arrested during Kristallnacht line up for roll call at Buchenwald, Jews were not only facing persecution but a horrible fate if they remained. Lorenz C. Schmuhl Papers, USHMM Archives)
Looking at the bigger picture many of the immigrants that came to America came here in order to get away from persecution, poverty, scarce opportunities in their countries, as well as political turmoil. People looked to America where people were free to be who they were and were fascinated by the city that was paved with gold streets where opportunity and land were prosperous ("United states immigration,”) & (Danzer, Klor de Alva, Krieger, Wilson & Woloch, 2008).