IMMIGRATION and MIGRATION in the Gilded Age [APUSH Review Unit 6 Topic 8] Period 6: 1865-1898

Summary

This video from Heimler's History delves into the significant movements of immigrants and migrants within the United States during the period of 1865-1898. It distinguishes between immigration, the movement from one country to another, and migration, the internal movement within the same country. The video explains how cultural and economic factors influenced these patterns. It highlights the massive influx of immigrants, primarily from Europe, who were driven by poverty, overcrowding, and joblessness, and the establishment of ethnic enclaves in industrial cities. It also addresses the migration of Southern black people, known as the Exoduster Movement, who moved westward in search of better opportunities after the end of Reconstruction. The video concludes by noting the challenges faced by these new settlers and teases the discussion of America's responses to immigration in the subsequent video.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The period from 1865-1898 in the U.S. saw both immigration (people moving from one country to another) and migration (people moving within the same country).
• 🚢 The U.S. population grew significantly, with about 16 million immigrants arriving, primarily from Europe, driven by poverty, overcrowding, and joblessness.
• 🏭 Immigrants, especially from Europe, settled in industrial cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York, diversifying the industrial workforce.
• 🏙️ The middle and upper classes moved away from urban centers during the Gilded Age, leading to cities becoming predominantly working class and poor, with many immigrants.
• 🏡 Poor living conditions in hastily built tenements with inadequate ventilation led to frequent disease outbreaks among the urban poor and immigrants.
• 🤝 Immigrants from similar backgrounds established ethnic enclaves, creating solidarity and re-establishing cultural institutions like churches and synagogues.
• 🏪 Some immigrants opened urban grocery stores to sell food from their homeland, contributing to the cultural diversity within cities.
• 🌟 The Exoduster Movement was a significant migration of Southern black people to the west, particularly Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado, in search of better opportunities.
• 🔍 The end of Reconstruction left the black population in the South without federal protection, leading to increased racial segregation and violence, prompting the Exoduster Movement.
• 🏛️ Organizations like the Colored Relief Board and the Kansas Freedmen’s Aid Society were established to assist black migrants in their relocation efforts.
• 🏘️ Many Exodusters faced destitution a year after moving, especially those attempting to homestead on the limited available land after railroad speculators had claimed much of it.
• 📚 The next video will discuss the responses to the new immigrants and migrants settling in America, further exploring the social and cultural impacts of these movements.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Unit 6 in the AP U.S. History curriculum?

The main focus of Unit 6 is the significant movements of immigrants and migrants into and around the United States during the period from 1865-1898.

What is the difference between immigration and migration as explained in the script?

Immigration refers to the movement of people from one country to another, while migration is the movement of people within the same country from one region to another.

How did the U.S. population grow in the late 19th century?

The U.S. population grew by a multiple of three, due to both an increase in birth rates and a massive wave of immigrants, with around 16 million arriving from various parts of the world.

Why did immigrants from Europe move to the United States during this period?

European immigrants moved to the U.S. mainly because of growing poverty, overcrowding, and joblessness in their home countries. Some, like Jews in Eastern Europe, also fled religious persecution.

Which American cities did immigrants predominantly settle in?

Immigrants predominantly settled in industrial cities such as Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York, which were seen as lands of opportunity and contributed to a more diverse industrial workforce.

What was the situation for Asian immigrants, particularly the Chinese, during this period?

Asian immigrants, especially the Chinese, had been arriving since the California Gold Rush in the 1840s and 1850s, and continued to arrive in substantial numbers, contributing to the changing demographics of the West.

How did the influx of immigrants affect the social structure of industrial cities?

The influx of immigrants led to a social bifurcation where the middle class and the wealthy moved away from the cities, leaving them predominantly inhabited by the working class and the urban poor, many of whom were immigrants.

What were the living conditions like for immigrants in the working-class districts of industrial cities?

The living conditions were often squalid, with immigrants and the working class crowding into hastily built, poorly constructed, and poorly ventilated tenements, leading to frequent outbreaks of diseases.

How did immigrants establish a sense of community and maintain their cultural identity in the U.S.?

Immigrants from the same cultures found each other and established ethnic enclaves, re-establishing cultural institutions such as Catholic Churches, synagogues, banking institutions, and political organizations to fight for their rights.

What was the Exoduster Movement and why did it occur?

The Exoduster Movement was a mass migration of Southern black people to the west, primarily to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. It occurred as a response to the end of Reconstruction, the rise of terror groups like the Ku Klux Klan, and the implementation of Jim Crow laws which led to segregation and disenfranchisement of black people in the South.

What challenges did the Exodusters face upon their arrival in the West?

The most successful Exodusters were those who settled in urban centers and found work as domestic servants or trade workers. However, many attempted to establish homesteads on the remaining land in Kansas after it had been largely claimed by railroad speculators, leading to widespread destitution among black homesteaders.

What was the role of organizations like the Colored Relief Board and the Kansas Freedmen’s Aid Society in the Exoduster Movement?

These organizations were created to assist the Exodusters in their migration, providing support and resources to help them establish new lives in the West.