Growth of Cities, Immigration, and Reform Review

Upon arriving by ship in New York Harbor, which of the following groups was required to go through immigration inspections at Ellis Island?

• Only steerage passengers

• Only first class passengers

• Only passengers with children

• Only women passengers on the ship

Answer explanation

When ships came into the harbor, those who were traveling in first, and sometimes second, class, were considered to be "safe" to enter the country.

Which statement is true of most immigrants going through Ellis Island?

• They spent over a week being processed

• They had their names changed by officials

• They were allowed to enter the US

• They were deported back to their home country.

Answer explanation

While some immigrants spent more than a week at Ellis Island, most were only there about 3 days.

Which group passed laws to decrease the number of immigrants coming to America?

• Anarchists

• Populists

• Nativists

• Grangers

Answer explanation

Nativsts believed that the US should be reserved for white, US-born citizens.

What immigration station was referred to as, "The Ellis Island of the West?"

• Coney Island

• Angel Island

• Hawaii

• You could only enter the US on the east coast, so there was no "Ellis Island of the West"

Which of these is a factor why people were pushed to leave Europe?

• They were reeling from a devastating famine that resulted from widespread crop failures.

• They believed there would be better opportunities to obtain industrial jobs in the United States.

• They were attracted to the prospect of the “land of milk and honey” described in the American letters

• They thought the United States would provide better educational opportunities for their children.

Answer explanation

Be sure to consider the difference between a PUSH factor and a PULL factor!

The experience for immigrants living in steerage...

• featured luxurious rooms, ocean views, musical entertainment, and high-quality food.

• was uncomfortable because hundreds of people were confined in the same space.

• involved an enjoyable two-week trip that increased people’s excitement for their new lives.

• caused many immigrants to catch serious diseases that prevented them from entering the country.

Which statement BEST characterizes life in the United States for European immigrants?

• Most immigrants continued their agricultural lifestyles by starting farms in the Midwest.

• Many immigrants were isolated from others who shared the same language and culture.

• They arrived with little money or few possessions and therefore had to work hard to make a living.

• They received a warm welcome to U.S. society because they brought diversity and new ideas.

How did the immigration station at Angel Island differ from the one at Ellis Island?

• Immigrants underwent a lengthier, more detailed legal interview at Angel Island.

• Immigrants at the Angel Island station were mostly coming from European countries.

• More immigrants who passed through Angel Island had their names shortened or respelled.

• Immigrants that did not pass the “six-second exam” were immediately deported at Angel Island.

What did Upton Sinclair expose to readers with his 1906 novel “The Jungle”?

• the unsanitary conditions in the meat packing plants

• the large homeless youth population in New York City

• the inadequate urban infrastructure of the city slums

• the dangerous work conditions in factories

Answer explanation

Upton Sinclair wrote "The Jungle" to expose the unsanitary conditions workers faced in meatpacking facilities.

Immigrants moved to the US for many different reasons. One type of reason is called a "push factor." What is a push factor?

• Something that attracts you to a new area.

• Something that makes you want to leave your current home.