New Immigration: America's Shores Teem with Hopeful Arrivals
- 1880-1920: Immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe arrive in America by the millions
- 1920s: The United States sets new restrictions on immigration
"Everyone was talking about going to America," a Polish girl wrote in 1897, "and we children played at being aboard ship, bound for 'the land of plenty.'" Millions of people in Europe and other parts of the world saw America as the land of hope and opportunity. Beginning in 1880, immigrants began arriving in greater numbers than ever before. Between 1880 and 1920, more than 23 million newcomers arrived.
Until this period, most immigrants had come from Western and Northern Europe--especially England, Ireland, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Norway. After 1880, the "new immigration" brought large numbers from Eastern and Southern Europe--countries such as Russia, Poland, Italy, and Greece. Many of these newcomers encountered prejudice because they seemed "different"--they spoke a foreign language, and they were Catholics or Jews, which were both minority religious groups in America.
Most of the new immigrants headed for the cities, seeking factory, jobs. They settled near others from the "old country," creating supportive ethnic neighborhoods. While life was often hard for the newcomers, their children and their children's children soon adopted American ways and blended into American society.
Many native-born Americans began to feel that too many immigrants were coming each year. In the 1920s, new laws reduced the flood of immigrants to a trickle, even though immigration had been a great source of the nation's strength.
The Statue of Liberty
"We stood on deck for hours," an Italian immigrant recalled, "peering through the fog for our first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty." For millions of immigrants, the Statue of Liberty was a symbol of what America stood for, and they eagerly looked for it as their ships approached New York Harbor. The statue, which stands 305 feet high with its pedestal, was a gift from the people of France, dedicated in 1886. At the base, a plaque is engraved with a poem by Emma Lazarus, expressing America's welcome to immigrants. It ends with the words, "I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Ellis Island
Many immigrants first set foot on American soil at Ellis Island, across the harbor from the Statue of Liberty. From 1892 to 1943, it was the main processing center for immigrants from Europe. Newcomers were given physical examinations, received their papers, and then took a ferry to the American mainland to begin their new lives. In 1965, Ellis Island was combined with the Statue of Liberty to form Liberty National Monument.