Primary Sources Adventures
Immigration to the United States
History Background
Immigration has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout American history. In 1907, the biggest year of the tide close to 1,285,349 people entered through Ellis Island, four times the facility's planned capacity. The wait without food and water often seemed endless.
Newspapers provide a significant source of information regarding immigrant entry to the United States during the 19th and 20th century. Whether it is about a family's adjustment to their new home in America or statistics that document an immigrant's country of origin, this lesson brings a crucial element of history to life through primary source documents.
Through interactive video, powerpoint slideshow, and online newspaper links, students will learn about why and how immigrants came to the U.S. Students will also learn more about immigrants and their lives with the internet research project and reading comprehension activities. Additionally, they will use the Mapping Diversity, Photo Analysis [Reflection], and resources like the Immigration Timeline to find out more about the challenges and issues that immigrants faced.
