Reading and Writing Workshop
Unit 2: 19th Century Immigration and Expansion
Session 1: Irish, German, and Scandinavian Immigration
Focus:
Session 2: Chinese Immigration and the Gold Rush
Focus:
Session 3: Railroad Expansion and Immigrant Labor
Focus:
Session 4: Nativism and the Know-Nothing Party
Focus:
Session 5: The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
Focus:
Extension Activity:Comparative Analysis
Session 1: Irish, German, and Scandinavian Immigration
Focus:
- Push/pull factors leading to Irish (potato famine), German (political unrest), and Scandinavian (poverty and land hunger) immigration.
- Life in ethnic enclaves and rural farming settlements.
- Excerpts from "The Irish in America" (1870) by John Francis Maguire
https://archive.org/details/irishinamerica01magu - Excerpts from "Reminiscences of a Pioneer" (1887) by Colonel William Thompson (Scandinavian settler experiences in the Midwest)
https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofp00thom
- Compare and contrast the experiences of two immigrant groups (e.g., Irish and Scandinavian) in terms of settlement patterns and cultural adaptation. How did their motivations for coming to America shape their communities?
Session 2: Chinese Immigration and the Gold Rush
Focus:
- Push factors from China (poverty, civil unrest) and pull factors (California Gold Rush).
- Anti-Chinese sentiment and labor conditions.
- Chinese immigrant testimonies (Angel Island poetry) from "Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940" (public domain selections)
https://www.loc.gov/resource/asian.10027.0/?sp=3 - Excerpts from "Chinese Immigration" by Mary Roberts Coolidge (1909)
https://archive.org/details/chineseimmigrati00cooluoft
- Reflect on how the hopes and disillusionments of Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush are expressed in the Angel Island poems. How do these writings reveal their personal struggles?
Session 3: Railroad Expansion and Immigrant Labor
Focus:
- Immigrant labor in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad.
- The role of Chinese, Irish, and other immigrant groups in western expansion.
- Excerpt from "Reports of the Pacific Railroad Commission" (1887), on immigrant labor contributions
https://archive.org/details/reportspacificr02commgoog/page/n6/mode/2up - Excerpt from "How the Other Half Lives" (1890) by Jacob Riis (context on urban laborers and immigrant workers)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45502
- Write a journal entry from the perspective of an immigrant laborer working on the railroad or in an urban industrial job. Describe the working conditions and how your cultural background shapes your experience.
Session 4: Nativism and the Know-Nothing Party
Focus:
- Rise of nativism in response to increased immigration.
- The Know-Nothing Party and anti-immigrant sentiment.
- Excerpt from "The Native American Almanac" (1855) by the American Patriot (Know-Nothing propaganda)
https://archive.org/details/nativeamericanal00phil - Excerpt from "Immigration and Labor" (1913) by John R. Commons, on nativism and labor politics
https://archive.org/details/immigrationlabor00commrich
- Analyze how the Know-Nothing Party used fear to influence public opinion. How do you see parallels between 19th-century nativism and modern-day immigration debates?
Session 5: The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
Focus:
- Causes and effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
- Legal and social impacts on Chinese communities in America.
- Full text of the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=47&page=transcript - Excerpt from "How the Other Half Lives" by Jacob Riis (chapter on Chinatown)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45502
- Write an argumentative essay: Was the Chinese Exclusion Act driven more by economic competition or racial prejudice? Support your position with evidence from the readings.
Extension Activity:Comparative Analysis
- Students will select two immigrant groups from this unit and create a comparative poster or presentation, exploring themes of labor, discrimination, cultural survival, and community building.