June 2015 1-02: How important was mass immigration in influencing American society in the years 1890 to 1920? [24 marks]

Created by: mtgriffiths
Created on: 12-05-16 17:43


	June 2015 1-02: How important was mass immigration in influencing American society in the years 1890 to 1920? [24 marks]
	Advantages the population boom and the rapid growth of urbanisation the emergence of areas and districts with a strong ethnic identity, such as Germans in Milwaukee, ‘Little Italy’ in New York and so on the tensions between new immigrants and the established communities: gang warfare, the influence of immigrant ‘wets’ on the debate over Temperance and Prohibition, the fear that immigrants were a threat to jobs the powerful backlash against immigration during and after the First World War: Sedition Act, Red Scares etc.	Disadvantages the real driver of change was dynamic economic growth led by big business. Immigration was a symptom, not a cause of change immigrants were desperate to assimilate, and did so. They wanted to be part of a ‘melting pot’ making new Americans. The USA changed the immigrants more than the immigrants changed America the impact of the First World War was made more important than the effect of immigration. One feature of good answers may be differentiation of change over time: the 1890s was different from 1900–1914, the First World War was vastly different. Another may be depth of argument balancing the positive and negative aspects of immigration.
	Evaluation The focus of this question is on developments in American society in the years 1890 to 1920 and how society was affected by mass immigration. Note that ‘society’ may be interpreted broadly here: answers may well refer to the economic impact of immigration; and/or issues verging on politics such as Tammany Hall, or the backlash against immigration in 1917–1920. This wider definition of ‘society’ should be accepted as legitimate. One feature of good answers may be differentiation of change over time: the 1890s was different from 1900–1914, the First World War was vastly different. Another may be depth of argument balancing the positive and negative aspects of immigration.

June 2015 1-02: How important was mass immigration in influencing American society in the years 1890 to 1920? [24 marks]

Advantages

the population boom and the rapid growth of urbanisation
the emergence of areas and districts with a strong ethnic identity, such as Germans in Milwaukee, ‘Little Italy’ in New York and so on
the tensions between new immigrants and the established communities: gang warfare, the influence of immigrant ‘wets’ on the debate over Temperance and Prohibition, the fear that immigrants were a threat to jobs
the powerful backlash against immigration during and after the First World War: Sedition Act, Red Scares etc.

Disadvantages

the real driver of change was dynamic economic growth led by big business. Immigration was a symptom, not a cause of change
immigrants were desperate to assimilate, and did so. They wanted to be part of a ‘melting pot’ making new Americans. The USA changed the immigrants more than the immigrants changed America
the impact of the First World War was made more important than the effect of immigration.
One feature of good answers may be differentiation of change over time: the 1890s was different from 1900–1914, the First World War was vastly different. Another may be depth of argument balancing the positive and negative aspects of immigration.

Evaluation

The focus of this question is on developments in American society in the years 1890 to 1920 and how society was affected by mass immigration. Note that ‘society’ may be interpreted broadly here: answers may well refer to the economic impact of immigration; and/or issues verging on politics such as Tammany Hall, or the backlash against immigration in 1917–1920. This wider definition of ‘society’ should be accepted as legitimate. One feature of good answers may be differentiation of change over time: the 1890s was different from 1900–1914, the First World War was vastly different. Another may be depth of argument balancing the positive and negative aspects of immigration.

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June 2015 1-02: How important was mass immigration in influencing American society in the years 1890 to 1920? [24 marks]