KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Immigrants and Labor
Many workers in industrial factories were immigrants who had come to America for better economic opportunities. Factory owners supported open immigration because it provided an abundance of cheap labor for factories.
Old / New Immigrants
“Old” immigrants came before 1880, were often from Western/Northern Europe, and spoke English. “New” immigrants came after 1880, were often from Southern/Eastern Europe, spoke different languages, and did not assimilate as easily.
Melting Pot
America was considered a “melting pot” because immigrants came to America with unique cultures, languages, and religions and then blended together to help form “American” culture. Eventually, many immigrants lost touch with old cultural practices.
Urbanization
Many immigrants settled in urban centers in the Northeast because that is where the factories and jobs were located. Immigration helped fuel urbanization and the growth of cities. Many lived in ghettos with other immigrants from the same country.
Jacob Riis’ How the Other Half Lives
In cities, poor workers often lived in cramped tenement apartments. Jacob Riis, an early muckraker, exposed the horrible conditions through writing and photography, and worked for better housing and city regulations.
Nativism
Many “native” workers resisted open immigration because they believed that immigrants worked for cheaper wages and therefore stole jobs from “native” Americans.
Chinese Exclusion Act / Gentlemen’s Agreement
Nativists who believed that Chinese workers stole jobs from Americans pushed for the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned immigrants from China. The Gentlemen’s Agreement did the same thing for Japan.