Because
Migration played such a large role in industrialization in the United States,
I decided to make a blog post about two of the most influential groups of
the mid 1800s. Because of all the people from all different parts of the
world came to seek their fortunes, all of their knowledge joined together to
make America an industrial power.
IRISH
In
the 1840s, Ireland had a devastating potato famine that struck the country,
leaving the people, who heavily relied on potatoes as their main form of
sustenance, starving. As a result, nearly two million Irish peasants starved to
death. With a majority of Ireland's population looking for a means to escape
their plight, many decided to come to America. Soon Irish constituted a
majority of the population of port cities on the United States' east coast.
Unfortunately, even in America, life was not easy. This was because the Irish
were not used to the urban lifestyle of Americans, which made it hard for them
to survive. For this reason, although some Irish were able to start and own
small businesses, many settled for jobs as laborers. To this day people who
immigrate to the United States usually start at the bottom level with jobs that
mostly require physical labor but produce the reliable and immediate pay they
need.
GERMANS
A
variety of European races living in Germany immigrated to the United States as
well, for various reasons. The Germans, unlike the Irish, did not find homes in
the large cities of the New World but rather kept to themselves by living in
the country. Despite this they added a bit of German flair to the societies of
which they were a part of, sharing their customs with the American people, such
the consuming of bier (beer). For the most part, they adapted to the rugged
lifestyle of the west, yet without forsaking their ancient traditions. Some
people rejected new technology and did not want to change their way of life.
These people banded together and are now known as the Amish.
Living
in America today, I think it is such a unique place in the sense that it is
home to such a diverse population. The differences in people’s beliefs
and practices allow us to get limited amounts of exposure to other cultures
without leaving the country. Right in Silicon Valley these cultures join
together in the workplace to create some of the most advanced technological
gadgets that exist in the world. Bearing this in mind, although there
have been riots and unrest regarding race, haven’t we gained so much more by
living together?
Sources:
American Pageant Textbook
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_immigration_to_the_United_States
Nice post Sami,
ReplyDeleteI believe we are fortunate to live in a place as diverse as California. There are truly few locations with such a variety of cultures, all of which coexist successfully. Here is a link that describes the level of diversity: http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report_1.pdf
Everything you said about Irish immigration hits pretty close to home! My grandparents both came to the U.S. due to my grandfather's poverty at home (which was not helped by the social immobility of an Irish farmer). He was able to secure a steady job (like you mentioned, in labor) in Iowa and all three of their children were able to receive a college education. It's interesting that even as time goes on the same ideals are still held dear.
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