Asked by Chuck Bass

What were two reasons some Americans opposed immigration in the Gilded Age?

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
1) Economic anxiety — many native-born workers blamed immigrants for taking jobs, driving down wages, and increasing competition for scarce work and public relief.
2) Nativism and cultural/political fear — immigrants’ different languages, religions (especially Catholic and Jewish), and unfamiliar customs were seen as a threat to “American” culture and institutions; some also feared imported radical ideas (anarchism/socialism).

These attitudes produced restrictions like the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) and pressure for literacy tests and other limits.