you will analyze primary sources – which are documents or artifacts generated by the events, people, and actions associated with historical phenomena – that emerge as close to the actual timeline of the historical phenomena as possible. The specific goal of this assignment is to analyze the social, political, and economic motives that influenced people’s responses to the notion of “freedom” during the age of the mass immigration and urbanization of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/18-industrial-america/jacob-riis-how-the-other-half-lives-1890/
Rose Cohen on the World Beyond her Immigrant Neighborhood (ca.1897/1918)
First, read these short documents with an eye toward how different groups/people approached the issues of immigration, American opportunities, race, and gender between 1880-1910.
Then, write a short essay that addresses the following issues:
According to American dogma, what was life supposed to be like for “all” Americans, regardless of race or ethnicity?
Using examples gleaned from these sources, what was life for ethnic minorities and immigrants really like in the US? How did their lived experiences during this period impact the rest of their lives?
Do you see examples of American racism and xenophobia at work in some of these sources? Provide examples if so.
Do you recognize any modern trends regarding how native-born Americans treat immigrants and ethnic minorities? Any parallels with modern concepts of xenophobia?
The minimum expectations are 3 full pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font. Your margins should be 1”. Structure your essay so that you have an introduction with a clear thesis statement that makes an argument, 3-4 specific examples from the readings, and a short conclusion. All cited material needs to come from the documents (William Graham Sumner). NO OTHER SOURCES MAY BE USED.
