Step 1: Establishing Context/Background information to answer the essay prompt. Students must read Background Essay information to understand the essay prompt.

Question

Background Essay:

Although some level of immigration has been continuous throughout American history, there have been two prominent periods: the 1880 to 1924 Age of Mass Migration, primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe. During some of the peak years of immigration in the early 1900s, about one million immigrants arrived annually, which was more than one percent of the total U.S. population at the time. In the early 21st century, there have been a few years with more than one million legal immigrants, but with a total U.S. population of almost 300 million, the relative impact is much less than it was in the early years of the 20th century.

The first impact of immigration is demographics. The 70 million immigrants who have arrived since the founding of the republic (formal records have only been kept since 1820) are responsible for the majority of the contemporary American population (Gibson 1992: 165). Most Americans have acquired a sense of historical continuity from America’s founding, but this is primarily the result of socialization and education, not descent. The one segment of the American population with the longest record of historical settlement is African Americans. Almost all African Americans are the descendants of 17th- or 18th-century arrivals (Edmonston and Passell 1994: 61).

Much of the historical debate over the consequences of immigration has focused on immigrant “origins”—where they came from. Early in the 20th century when immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe was at its peak, many old-stock Americans sought to preserve the traditional image of the country as primarily composed of descendants from Northwest Europe, especially of English Protestant stock (Baltzell 1964). The immigration restrictions of the 1920s were calibrated to preserve the historic “national origins” of the American population (Higham 1988).

The hostility of old-line Americans to “foreigners” accelerated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as racial ideology and anti-Semitism also became part of American consciousness. The rising tide of nativism—the fear of foreigners—had deep roots in anti-Catholicism and a fear of foreign radicals. The new dominant element of this ideology in the late 19th century was the belief in the inherent superiority of the Anglo-Saxon “race” (Higham 1988: Chapter 1).

Cities, where most immigrants settled, were derided and feared as places filled with dangerous people and radical ideas (Hawley 1972: 521). These sentiments were often formulated by intellectuals, but they resonated with many white Americans who were reared in rather parochial and homogenous rural and small-town environments. While some reformers, such as Jane Addams, went to work to alleviate the many problems of urban slums, others such as Henry Adams, the descendant of two American presidents and a noted man of letters, expressed virulent nativism and anti-Semitism (Baltzell 1964: 111).

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first step toward a closed society. From the 1880s to the 1920s, a diverse set of groups, ranging from the old-line New England elites to the Progressive Movement in the Midwest and to the Ku Klux Klan led a campaign to halt immigration from undesirable immigrants from Europe (Higham 1988; Jones 1992: Chapter 9). In the early decades of the 20th century, the nascent pseudo-science of Eugenics was used to support claims of the inferiority of the new immigrants relative to old-stock Americans.

Rubric for a Thesis Statement and Document Explanation: Thesis Statement Rubric:
Clear Position (2 points):

The thesis must clearly state the position or argument, answering the prompt.
Specificity (2 points):

The thesis should be specific and reflect the key themes or causes.
Balanced Scope (2 points):

The thesis must be balanced, addressing both the tensions and the government’s response, without favoring one side of the argument.
After reading the background essay and reviewing the essay prompt, construct a thesis statement. (Please review thesis statement rubric)

Between 1880 and 1925, look at the challenges people faced because of immigration and how the U.S. government responded to these challenges. Use the documents (political cartoons) provided and what you know about that time to help you write your answer.

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Document A/Political Cartoon

Document B/Political Cartoon

Document Rubric
Document Explanation Rubric (R.A.C.E. Format):
Restate the Claim (2 points):

Begin by restating the aspect of your argument that the document supports.
Answer the Question (2 points):

Provide an answer or explanation for how the document directly ties into your thesis or argument.
Cite Evidence from the Document (5 points):

Use a specific quote or reference from the document to back up your answer.
Explain the Relevance (5 points):

Explain how the document strengthens your overall argument, showing its relevance to your thesis.
Describe how you would use Document A or B (political cartoons) to justify your thesis statement. (Please review document rubric expectations) Remember, students (one document) pick a document you feel that will supplement your thesis statement.
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Answer 1

Thesis Statement: Between 1880 and 1925, immigrants in the United States faced significant challenges, including rampant nativism, economic exploitation, and social isolation, which spurred governmental responses such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and restrictive immigration policies. These measures reflected the deep-seated fears and prejudices of certain segments of American society that sought to preserve the nation’s demographic character while simultaneously grappling with the changing social landscape brought about by mass migration.

Document Explanation Using Document A (Political Cartoon):

1. Restate the Claim: The challenges faced by immigrants during the period from 1880 to 1925, including societal prejudice and economic hardship, are vividly illustrated in Document A.

2. Answer the Question: This political cartoon highlights the fear and hostility that immigrants faced, often being depicted as threats to American culture and values.

3. Cite Evidence from the Document: In Document A, the cartoon's imagery portrays immigrants as caricatures of danger and irrationality, suggesting that they were seen as an intrusion to the established social order. The caption or dialogue may emphasize how immigrants are viewed with suspicion or disdain by the 'native' populace.

4. Explain the Relevance: This document serves to strengthen my overall argument by illustrating the prevailing nativist sentiment that fueled calls for restrictive immigration policies, like the Chinese Exclusion Act, as a means to protect the perceived integrity of American society. The fear of foreign influences and the perceived threat posed by immigrants were significant factors that shaped governmental responses during this period, further entrenching divisions and reinforcing challenges faced by those seeking a new life in America.

By utilizing Document A in this way, the thesis is supported through a visual representation of the societal challenges and governmental responses connected to the larger themes of immigration in the time frame specified.