Immigration waves, industrialization, and labor movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Front: the term, event, or figure. Back: a one to two sentence explanation of its significance.
35 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- Ellis Island
Show answer
Gateway processing center for European immigrants arriving in New York from 1892 onward. It processed millions of arrivals and symbolized both the opportunity and challenges of immigration.- Angel Island
Show answer
Immigration processing center in San Francisco Bay where Asian immigrants, especially Chinese, were processed and often detained for weeks. It represented a more restrictive approach to Asian immigration compared to Ellis Island.- Chinese Exclusion Act
Show answer
1882 federal law that suspended Chinese immigration and prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the United States. It was the first major law to explicitly bar a nationality from immigrating.- Irish immigration wave
Show answer
Massive influx of Irish immigrants, particularly in the 1840s-1880s, driven by poverty and the Great Famine. Irish immigrants became central to urbanization and labor movements in industrial cities.- Italian immigration wave
Show answer
Large wave of Southern Italian immigrants arrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s seeking economic opportunity. They faced discrimination but became essential to industrial labor and urban communities.- Nativism
Show answer
Political and social movement opposing immigration, particularly by native-born Americans who viewed immigrants as threats to jobs, culture, and national identity. Nativism fueled restrictive immigration policies and discrimination.- Old Immigrants vs. New Immigrants
Show answer
Old Immigrants from Western and Northern Europe (1800s-1880s) were generally Protestant and integrated more easily, while New Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe (1880s-1920s) were often Catholic, Orthodox, or Jewish and faced greater discrimination.- Steerage
Show answer
Crowded, unsanitary below-deck compartments where poor immigrants were housed during transatlantic voyages. Conditions were disease-ridden and many died during the journey, symbolizing the hardships of immigration.- Settlement house movement
Show answer
Urban community centers like Hull House where middle-class reformers lived among poor immigrants to provide social services, education, and assistance adapting to American life. The movement was central to Progressive Era reform.- Jane Addams
Show answer
Founder of Hull House in Chicago (1889) and pioneering settlement house reformer who advocated for immigrant rights, labor protections, and social welfare. She became a major Progressive Era figure.- Urbanization
Show answer
Rapid growth of cities due to immigration and industrialization in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Urban centers became crowded with tenements and sweatshops but also centers of opportunity and cultural exchange.- Factory system
Show answer
Large-scale industrial production concentrated in factories with specialized workers and machinery. The factory system replaced craft production and enabled mass manufacturing but created harsh working conditions.- Assembly line
Show answer
Production method pioneered by Henry Ford where products moved through stations with workers performing specialized repetitive tasks. It dramatically increased efficiency but made work monotonous and dangerous.- Bessemer Process
Show answer
Revolutionary method for mass-producing steel by forcing air through molten iron to remove impurities. It made steel production faster and cheaper, enabling railroad expansion and industrial growth.- Andrew Carnegie
Show answer
Steel industry magnate who pioneered vertical integration by controlling all stages of steel production from raw materials to finished product. His business methods created enormous wealth but demonstrated the power of industrial monopolies.
FlashKeepers