Chapter 11 lesson 2 Immigrants and Reformers

1. Chapter 11 lesson 2Immigrants and Reformers

2. Immigrants People had been moving to North America from European countries since the 1500’s. Between 1840 and 1860, the number of immigrants increased significantly. About 4 million Europeans came to the United States during this time. Almost half of these immigrants were Irish. About one-third were German and the rest came from other European countries. German and Irish Immigrants are people who move to another country to live.

3. European immigrants

4. Many immigrants came to America for land and job opportunities. Thousands left Germany because of war and crop failures. After arriving in American, many Germans settled in the Midwest where land was plentiful. Some German immigrants found jobs in mid-western cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee. Why they came: Germans

5. The Irish Potato Famine caused many Irish people to leave their country. A famine Potatoes were the main source of food for the poor in Ireland. When a disease destroyed Ireland’s potato crop in 1846, more than a million Irish people died. Why They came: Irish is a widespread shortage of food.

6. When most immigrants arrived in American, they did not have enough money to buy land or to leave the port cities in which they landed. Irish men and women settled in the port cities and found work in factories, as household servants, and/or builders of canals and railroads. Some Americans disliked the immigrants because their customs were so different. Some Americans thought the immigrants were taking jobs that they could have had. Many people who originally had jobs making goods by hand lost their job because factories produced goods faster and cheaper. Finding work

7. Beginning in the 1820’s, a rise in religious feeling spread throughout the country. Thousands of people joined Christian churches. This religious movement was called the Second Great Awakening. During this time, many people tried to change society (all the people living in the same country). People worked to improve the country through reform. Reform Some reforms during this time included antislavery and temperance. Temperance Making a better society is an action that makes something better. means controlling or cutting back on drinking alcohol.

8. Injustice Another reform at this time was one addressing the injustice toward women. During this time women: Seneca Falls convention means unfair treatment that abuses a person’s rights. never spoke to audiences that included men could not vote only a small number of low-paying jobs were available could not own property keep money they earned Everything a woman had belonged to her husband.

9. Courageous women spoke out against this injustice, but few people listened. In 1848, a group of women held a convention in Seneca Falls, New York to discuss their rights. Nearly 300 people attended this meeting. This convention marked the beginning of the women’s rights movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the leader of the Seneca Falls Convention. Susan B. Anthony joined Stanton as a movement leader. Newspapers published attacks against Stanton and Anthony because many people believed women’s roles should not change. These attacks did not stop the women’s rights movement.