Immigration and Population

Immigration and Population

Statue of Liberty
Opphavsmann: Public domain In 1775, in the era of the War of Independence, there were less than four million Americans. Until 1848, the population was rather small. This was changed by two important historical events; the fact that gold was found in California (1848) and the Homestead Act (1862), an act of law giving away land to farmers.

The population surged after this. Suddenly millions of immigrants came to “the land of opportunity” or “The Promised Land”. Within 50 years, the U.S. population tripled. Until 1840, mainly British people came, but more and more immigrants from Western Europe began to arrive. They came from countries such as Germany, Norway and Ireland. Immigration from southern and eastern parts of Europe and the Far East gradually increased after 1880. Poverty and political persecution were some of the reasons why people emigrated and sought freedom in the “New World”.

Nativism The U.S. has traditionally been more open to immigration than other countries. However, since the beginning of the 20th century, and especially after the First World War, many Americans have wanted a more restrictive immigration policy. Those favoring restrictions warn against overpopulation, unemployment, poorer social conditions and a dilution of national identity. Others, with a more inclusive attitude, welcome the cultural riches ethnicity represents. Neither the Native Americans nor the African Americans are immigrants in the traditional sense.

Since 1965, people from countries such as Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and Asiatic countries have been entering the U.S., and some people claim that the USA is changing its color. By the year 2050, whites may have become a minority group.

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Comprehension

1. How many Americans were there in 1775?
2. Why did the number of Americans increase rapidly around 1850?
3. Where did most immigrants come from before 1880? After 1880? After 1965?
4. Why do some Americans want a more restrictive immigration policy?
5. What does it mean when some people claim that the U.S. is changing color?
6. How many Americans are there today? According to estimates, how many will there be in 2050? Population Clock, United States Population 
7. Which is the fastest-growing immigrant group today? (Use the second link in question 6)
8. How do you understand the poster to the right?

Interactive Tasks

Create Paragraph - Drag and Drop  

The USA - Immigration and Population  

Vocabulary

Timeline

In pairs, study this timeline and ask each other two questions from each time frame.

The Making of the American People
Kilde: America.gov

Research

Use the link, The Peopling of America, to briefly present immigration in one period of US history. Add pictures and tables to your text and remember to state your sources. Feel free to use any additional web sites as resources.

Make a Quiz

Based on your research, make a small quiz and have at least two other students try it out. Make sure the alternatives in your quiz are clearly different yet plausible.

Making a quiz is a bit harder than it looks so work on the language before you present it.

Research

Search for 'the Statue of Liberty' and find information about symbolic meanings of the statue's various details.