APUSH Review: Responses to Immigration in the Gilded Age

Overview

• Period: 1865-1898
• Focus: Responses to immigration during the Gilded Age
• Key Figures and Events: Henry Cabot Lodge, Chinese Exclusion Act, Jane Addams, Hull House

Key Themes and Responses

Nativism

• Definition: Policy of protecting the interests of native-born individuals over immigrants.
• Concerns:
  • American identity was questioned due to the influx of immigrants.
  • Immigrants, especially those who were not "white enough," were seen as inferior due to Social Darwinist beliefs.

Key Figures and Groups

• Henry Cabot Lodge:
  • Prominent politician who supported nativist policies.
• American Protective Association:
  • Anti-Catholic organization targeting Irish immigrants.

Labor Unions and Economic Concerns

• Labor Unions:
  • Opposed to immigration as immigrants would accept lower wages, thereby threatening existing wage levels.
• Economic Panic of 1873:
  • Nativists blamed Chinese workers for wage depression.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

• Legislation: Banned further Chinese immigration.
• Impact: First significant law restricting immigration into the United States.

Settlement Houses and Assimilation

• Jane Addams and Hull House:
  • Established settlement houses to assist immigrants in assimilating into American society.

Social and Cultural Impact

• Social Darwinism:
  • Used to justify the perceived superiority of native-born Americans over immigrants.
• Cultural Tensions:
  • Immigrants were often scapegoated for economic and social issues.

Conclusion

• The Gilded Age was marked by significant tension between nativist sentiments and the realities of an increasingly diverse American population. The response to immigration during this time laid the groundwork for future immigration policies and debates in the U.S.