Experience of Immigrants in the 19th Century in America
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Experience of Immigrants in the 19th Century in America
in American history, there have been so many immigrants from different parts of the world. Some came to find jobs; others came as slaves while others on missionary activities. On arriving on this land, many, many people come with different expectations. America is believed to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world with the best life. However, this is not always the case, as many immigrants are faced with hardships after settling in the USA. This essay will describe the immigrant’s expectations in America, according to Maguire and Morse.
John Maguire (1867) describes how Irish men and women migrated from their motherland, looking for greener pastures. There were so many problems in Ireland that forced these people to move to the west. There, diseases like chorea and fever, which affected their health. Thank God these diseases did not take their precious life away. In New York City, they out that the city was among the most populated city in America. The city also acts as the entrance door for all immigrants all over the world.
Every ship from outside the world to America must contain people going to New York City. This has made the city highly congested with low housing for poor immigrants who cannot afford a decent house. The rate of unemployment also goes up, making life difficult in the city. There too many hands for the available jobs. As a result, the wages go down to match the forces of demand and supply. The decreased wages hit the Irish’s mind so hard because every immigrant believes that United is a haven.
Evils associated with overcrowding are so evident in the USA and especially in major cities like New York City. The crime rate also escalates as the poor thy to forcefully share with the rich. Theft and killings in America are associated with immigrants and especially men of color. As a result, immigrants are discriminated against, and they bared from accessing some places. Amazingly, there is more than 16,000 tenants house in New York housing about half a million residents. This can suggest the misery that befalls immigrants who go to the USA with a made-up kind of living a luxury life. Maguire also speaks on the issue of drinking associated with the Irish in the USA. Excessive consumption of alcohol has made Irish people lose jobs hence struggling financially.
Samuel B.L. Morse (1835), in his work, speaks on the dangers of welcoming foreigners in the USA. The intruders from all over the come with different cultures and believers, affecting various institutions in the country. Samuel also believes that since the time of the American Revolution, which resulted in democracy, those principles have been jeopardized than in the present. European governments have been subjected to political revolutions with the desire for liberty, which affects the protestants reformation.
It is known that Protestantism favors republican while the popery naturally supports monarchical power. The principle will help us connect between European and American politics; this is what affects American institutions. Religion, therefore, affects how institutions perform in a given country. Using Austria society as an example, the writer says that Jesuits have exerted their tyranny for upwards of 200 years. This has become formidable to the entire world. There are also Irish Catholics who are immigrants in the USA. This affects how democracy is conducted from different religious principles.
References
The Irish in America (1867) by John Francis Maguire
Imminent dangers to the free institutions of the united states (1835) by Samuel F. B Morse.