Defining Moments: The Dream of America: Immigration 1870 1920

An excellent survey of the American immigration experience, this history looks at all aspects of immigration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Examining immigration as it was before the American Civil War through the difficult—and often dangerous—voyage to the “New World” and the arrival at Ellis Island, this account demonstrates how people settled into what has become known as the “melting pot” of American life. Arguing that this new influx of humanity eventually made its impact as immigrants contributed their widely-varying cultural backgrounds and skill sets to society, this volume also includes numerous biographies of individuals who were important at the time, such as Jane Addams, and primary sources that shed light on Americans' thoughts on these events as they were happening.