Immigration At The Turn of The Century

Immigration At The Turn of The
Century

RESOURCES

New York City At The Turn
of The Century

The History Place-Child Labor in
America Child Labor And Tenements in
NYC

Conclusion:
Many immigrants at the turn of the century suffered many hardships on their
trip from their homelands and once they got here. Many were discriminated
against for being poor, or the country they came from. Also, many families
were forced to work long, strenuous hours, even the children, just to survive.

Introduction
At the turn of the 20th Century many new changes were happening
in the United States. Many immigrants were pouring into the
country through Ellis Island dreaming of a better life. Many of
them found themselves living in poor tenement houses, with little
food, and a hard life in the factories. Many children also found
themselves working long hours. Child Labor soon became an issue.

TASK
There are several steps for your task in this webquest.
You may either complete the tasks individually or in a group of two.
You will have two class periods to complete the tasks and they should be typed into
microfsoft word and printed out and submitted for a grade at the end of the second day
of class. Use the resource sites given to answer the questions.

TASK # 1:
Find out the hardships the immigrants went through when they entered Ellis Island.
You need to describe at least 3 hardships they faced on the way over and when
entering Ellis Island.
Also, describe the differences in the way first class passengers were treated from the
second and third classes.
Finally, describe what disease(s) prevented the passengers from being able to enter the
United States through Ellis Island.

TASK #2:
Go to the chart on the State of Liberty National monument American Park Network.
In the left hand column you will see a list of break off sites. You need to go to
"Number of Immigrants" Using the chart tell where the most immigrants were coming
from at the turn of the century.
Also, where were the least amount of immigrants coming from?
How many countries are listed on the chart?

TASK#3:
For the last task you need to go to "The History Place- Child Labor in America" site.
At this site you need to read and analyze the following areas:
- "Faces of Lost Youth"
- "The Mill"
- "The Newsies"
- " Pastimes and Vices"
- "Group Portraits"
After looking at and reading about these children, many your age or younger, think of
how you would have felt or what you would have said to a reporter interviewing you
about your working conditions or experiences as a child laborer.
Choose a job from the ones you saw on the webite and write a paragraph or two (at
least 3-5 sentences) about the working conditions, treatment, and how you feel about
working.

Pictures Retrieved from : The History Place - Child Labor in America 1908-1912 Photographs by Lewis W. Hine

Miss Decker
Coxsackie-Athens Middle School

Updated September 5th 2004 Updated 10/15/11