Migration/American Dream

for many immigrants first thing they saw upon arriving in New York City bay ship in 19th and 20th century

given to USA by France in 1886 to celebrate the first 100 years of American independence from Britain located on Liberty Island

women holding stone table in left hand displaying the date of the Declaration of Independence (july 4, 1776), wear crown with sevenj spikes representing the seven continents and oceans, underneath right foot is broken chain

One of the most famous American icons symbolizing freedom and enlightement

place where most immigrants set foot on American soil

federal immigration station from 1892 to 1954 and the gateway to a new and often better life for the myjority of immigrants

some immigrants were detained there for legal or medical reasons or even sent back to their home countries

• Towards end of the 16th century movement of English Protestants that felt Protestantism in England was not much different from Catholicism

• Their intention was to purify the Church of England, not to leave it

• They wish to remain English subjects but free to worship god in their own way

• In 1620 102 people left England for America, sailing on a ship called Mayflower and arriving in America 65 days later in Playmouth Bay

• Their beliefs and values had a lasting impact on New England society

  
  

Written in 1776, one year after beginning of revoloutionary war

Darftet by commiteconsisting of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson….

States the princibles on which the American gouvernement and identity are based

Declares a complete break with Britain and claims the United States as an independent country

Stresses equality: “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”

questions the rights of British king George |||

Calls for every American to have the opportunity to pursue their personal dreams

(at first, women were excluded from this statement)

-expresses the belief that the US was destined by God to expand across the North American continent

-it was used to justify the forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands

-it was used as a pretext to aquire land in Oregan, Texas, Mexico and California

-After civil War “the new manisfest destiny” was invoked as the US purchased Alaska, annexed Hawaii and aquired territories in the western Pacific and LAtin America as a result of the Spanish-American war

• remained key philosophy until end of world war |.

• A frontier is the margin of land wehere people live and have build towns and beyond which the country is wild and unknown

• American frontier was an advancing border which marked the lands that had been settled, and it was definded by the westward movement. The Pacific coast was reached in the second half of the 19th century

• in the 1960’s President John F. Kennedy used the term “New Frontier to gain support for his domestic and foreign plocies, e.g. to develop science and space exploration

• written in 1787

• intention to form a more perfect union, establish justice , ensure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense , promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty for the American people

• established a new democratic form of gouvernment that was distinct from the British monarchy

Bill Of Rights

first ten ammendements to the American Constitution

written to provide greater protection for personal freedom in response to calls from some states

guarantee unalienable rights for American citizens like freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, and the right to bear arms

14-> 1868 granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves

it guaranteed all citizens equal protection of the laws

15-> 1870 granted voting rights to African American men

northern states: industrial and commercial

southern states: largely agrarian

African American Slavery central point of political crisis

Northerners wanted to limt the spread of slavery or abolish ist

Southerners maintain and expand it

Sbraham Lincoln (abolitionist) becomes president in 1860

southern states wanted to protect slavery-> formed independent governemt federate States of America

conflict resulted in Civil War (1861-1865) slaves fought alongside the notherners and they won

Slavery was abolished and four million slaves were freed -> 13 th amendement: neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the US

HOWEVER

south remained agrarian slaves had no other choice then returning to same lives as before emancipation

increasing economic power was important pull factor for peolpe living in unstable conditions->vision of starting with nothing and becoming wealthy citizen

factors that fuelled economic growth

• gold an silver rushes /california gold rush from 1849 to 1955

• telephone, refrigerator, sewing machine

• mass production assembly line by Henry Ford

• cheap labour due to steady influx of immigrants

• infrastructure-> railway system