Transcript The Chinese - cloudfront.net

German Immigrants
German:
In the decade from 1845 to 1855, more than a million Germans fled to the United States to
escape economic hardship. They also sought to escape the political unrest caused by riots,
rebellion and eventually a revolution in 1848. The Germans had little choice — few other
places besides the United States allowed German immigration. Unlike the Irish, many
Germans had enough money to journey to the Midwest in search of farmland and work.
Like the Irish, most found work on Midwestern canals and the transcontinental
railroad. The largest settlements of Germans were in New York City, Baltimore,
Cincinnati, St. Louis and Milwaukee, and Texas. With the vast numbers of German and Irish
coming to America, hostility to them erupted. Part of the reason for the opposition was
religious. All of the Irish and many of the Germans were Roman Catholic. Part of the
opposition was political. Most immigrants living in cities became Democrats because the
party focused on the needs of commoners. Part of the opposition occurred because
Americans in low-paying jobs were threatened and sometimes replaced by groups willing
to work for almost nothing in order to survive. The Germans brought with them many
things like the Conestoga wagon, used to pack everything and travel to the west on the
wagon trails. They also brought traditions such as the Christmas tree. They encouraged
educated brought their idea of kindergarten- garden for the children for preschool aged
learning. They were master brewers who also introduced beer to the Americans.
The Chinese
By 1852, more than 20,000 poor, hungry, Chinese peasants pushed by overpopulation in China, had traveled across
the Pacific Ocean to California for the gold rush. At first, the Chinese were welcomed and treated as a worthy class
of new citizen. As gold became more scarce and difficult to find, attitudes toward them began to change.
Under Attack:
American miners called on the government to drive foreigners out of the goldfields. In 1852, the state legislature
passed a law requiring foreign miners to pay a monthly fee for a license to mine. As the tax collectors arrived, most
foreigners left. The Chinese, however, paid the tax and stayed on. Miners continued to try to make them leave the
mining camps by cutting off their queues [braids]. They also burned their shacks and beat them. Many Chinese left
the mining camps and opened restaurants, laundries, farms, and stores in San Francisco. There were so many living
in one section, it became known as Chinatown. Today, it is one of the largest Chinese communities in the US. Many
also went to work on the Transcontinental Railroad.
Legacy:
When the reality of not gaining wealth from the gold mines set in, the Chinese stayed on in California despite the
prejudice against them. They were hard workers who benefited California and other western states in mining,
farming, and hard labor laying down railroad tracks for the Transcontinental Railroad. Many times they were the
ones that had the extremely dangerous job of placing explosives to blast through mountains that tracks could not be
constructed over. In the end, the Chinese helped build the west. They brought with them arts, tastes, scents, and
sounds of their culture.
Irish Immigrants
Irish:
In the middle half of the nineteenth century, more than one-half of the population of
Ireland immigrated to the United States. The Irish were the largest group of immigrants to
the US before the Civil War. Irish immigrants built canals in the mid-west and northeast,
and constructed railroads such as the Transcontinental that would reach the Pacific coast.
They became involved in almost every labor-intensive endeavor in the country. Much of the
country was built on their backs. In Ireland, almost half of the population lived on farms
that produced little income. Because of their poverty, most Irish people depended on
potatoes for food. When this crop failed three years in succession, it led to a great Famine
with horrendous consequences. Over 750,000 people starved to death. Over two million
Irish eventually moved to the United States seeking relief from their desolated country.
Impoverished, the Irish could not buy property. Instead, they congregated in the cities
where they landed, almost all in the northeastern United States. They often would work for
lower wages than American born citizens or Nativists. Signs that read “No Irish Need
Apply” sprang up in the northeast making it hard for them to find work and acceptance.
When the movement for westward expansion started, the Irish were like many others
searching for a chance for new adventure, a chance to own land for farming, the prospect of
striking it rich in the gold mines, and the American dream. Most Irish settlements were in
the present day states of Montana, Wyoming, Nevada among other western states.
The Mormons
In 1846, wagon trains of Mormons looking for a new home came to what is now the Great Salt Lake in Utah. It was dry and
desert like. No one would want to settle it, but the Mormons did. Mormons were members of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints. Joseph Smith taught that he received The Book of Mormon from an angel. He believed that he was to create a
community of believers who would serve God faithfully.
Persecution:
Smith’s followers lived in close communities, working hard and sharing their goods. Wherever they settled: New
York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois – their neighbors persecuted them for their teachings and belief in polygamy – having
more than one wife (this is no longer practiced). In 1844, in Illinois, a mob killed their leader. After Smith’s death, Brigham
Young took over as their leader. Young decided to move his community to Utah. There they might be left alone to follow
their faith in peace.
Legacy:
When they arrived at the Great Salt Lake, Young set up their settlement – Salt Lake City. By the time he died in 1877, Utah
had 125,000 Mormons living in 500 settlements. To survive in the Utah desert, the Mormons had to adapt to new ways of
farming. They built dams, canals, and irrigation ditches to carry water from mountain streams to their farms in the valley.
Their methods were used by other settlers who settled in dry regions. Salt Lake City was an important stop for travelers in
need of food and supplies. To the Mormons, their greatest legacy was their faith. The Mormon Church has grown into a
worldwide religion with more than 11 million members.
The Prospectors – 49ers
In 1848, a carpenter named James Marshall was building a sawmill on the American River in northern California for
John Sutter, who build Sutter’s Fort on what is now Sacramento, California. He spotted something shiny in the water.
That something turned out to be gold. Sutter and Marshall tried to keep their find a secret, but the news somehow
leaked out. As soon as they found out, people from across California dropped everything to race for the goldfields.
Gold seekers and squatters overran Sutter’s land stealing and destroying his goods and livestock. Sutter was
eventually left bankrupt from the event. By 1849, thousands of gold seekers motivated by fortune from around the
world, even China, joined in the California gold rush. 2/3 of the 49ers were Americans prospecting [searching] for
gold. Most were young men, but some women also came in search of fortune.
Life in the Mining Camps:
After the discovery of gold, mining camps popped up overnight. Miners would camp in canvas tents. Among the
tents were drinking saloons, and gambling tables. Merchants made fortunes selling things like eggs and flour for
quadruple the price. Since there were no police to keep order, camps were rough places. Miners fought over
boundaries of their claims. “In 24 hours, we have had murders, accidents, bloody deaths, a mob, whippings, a
hanging, an attempt at suicide, and a fatal duel.” – Louise Clappe.
Digging or panning for gold was hard work. Miners spent long days digging up mud, dirt, and stones while wading in
icy streams. Relatively soon, the easy-to-find gold was gone. Most could not afford the trip home after it was all over.
Legacy:
By 1852, the gold rush was over. While it lasted, 250,000 people flooded to California. Between 1848 and 1870,
warfare and disease reduced the number of Indians from 150,000 to 30,000. The prosperous legacy was that by
1850, California had enough people to become the first state in the far west.