Overview
Immigrants have come to the United States throughout its history, arriving from many different places and for many different reasons. This lesson explores one group’s immigration story during a significant period of time: Jewish immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
About the Lesson
Grade Level: 6-12
In this lesson, students will investigate the history of Jewish immigration between 1880-1924. Through examination of primary source documents and critical analysis of historical events, students will gain a deeper understanding of the push and pull factors that compelled Jews to immigrate to America, what their lives were like upon arriving to their new country, and the unfortunate backlash that brought this wave of immigration to an abrupt end.
This lesson can be used in its entirety or in segments, depending on the course you teach, the focus of the overall topic, or the allotted time frame (one or more class periods).
Essential Questions
- Why might someone decide to leave their home and move to a new country? What might be some of the pros and cons of going to a new country?
- What are some historical factors that caused Jews to immigrate to the United States between 1880 and 1924?
- How did American culture influence the lives and experiences of Jewish immigrants?
- What was the Immigration Act of 1924, and how did it affect Jewish immigration to the United States?
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Analyze the social, political, and cultural factors that both encouraged and hindered Jewish immigration to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Describe how Jewish immigrants influenced U.S. culture, policy, and social movements.
- Explain why many Jews chose to immigrate to the United States, and why many chose to remain in their home countries.
Materials:
PRIMARY SOURCES: All of these sources are available as pdfs and in an interactive digital format.
- SOURCE 1: Jewish immigration numbers between 1880 and 1924
- SOURCE 2 (optional): Map of Jewish emigration and immigration
- SOURCE 3: “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus, 1883
- SOURCE 4: Excerpt from Israel Zangwill’s play The Melting Pot, 1908
- SOURCE 5: Excerpt from “The Russian Jew in America” by Abraham Cahan, 1898
- SOURCE 6: Letter to President Theodore Roosevelt on behalf of the Jews of Russia by Max Kaplan, 1908
- SOURCE 7: Excerpt from a speech by South Carolina senator Ellison Smith in support of the Immigration Act of 1924
Jewish Immigration Teacher Slide Deck
