Explain why there was mass immigration to the USA between the years 1890 and 1914

Explain why there was mass immigration to the USA between the years 1890 and 1914
There was mass immigration to the USA between the years 1890 and 1914 for a combination of reasons, all of which are based around socio-economic, ideological, political, cultural and technological factors.
America was considered at this time “The Great Melting Pot” due to immigrants from everywhere mixing into this one country, however, this immigration did not form a “melting pot” of cultures because each ethnic group had their own area in a town or even its own town. For immigrants, America was seen as a place for achieving the dream of improving and having a better life, there they had freedoms and liberty, this is why immigration was not only from Europe but from other parts of the world. The other form of immigration was formed called migration. There was a lot of migration from African-Americans from poorer South to the more prosperous North; however, the migrating African-Americans were not welcomed, they suffered much the same way as they had in the South. The changes in American society that immigration brought about were friction between newly arrived and older established groups, religion being the main one, with older groups (Protestants) and the newer ones(catholic). The changes in American politics that immigration brought about were very little; power was kept by the WASPs (White Anglo Saxon Protestants). Irish Americans began sticking together for collective political clout which brought about the significance of Tammany Hall. Tammany Hall was notorious for the corruption in city and state politics that it fostered; it was built by local politics to support the Democratic Party and it provided immigrants with a social “safety net”. It also controlled businesses, influenced police, certain labour unions and voting.
“Push” and “pull” factors are said to be a main cause of immigration to America. Push factors are reasons that generally push people out of their country; the push factors in Europe included population growth as Europe had better food and homes causing a population growth and so it soon became overcrowded. Due to agricultural changes, landlords took advantage of city growth because of the over crowdedness and forced residents out in order for the land owners to farm in large areas. Also in agricultural changes, there was mass crop failure, poor farmers were in debt because of this, causing them to starve and so they chose to redeem themselves in America instead. The Industrial Revolution introduced factories which made cheaper materials that artisans could not compete with so because of their unemployment status, some decided to come to America. Regarding religious and political chaos, Quakers from Norway and Jews from Germany left to avoid religious harassment, Germans also came as the German Revolution didn’t have the desired outcome. Not only that, but the persecution of Russian Jews and the economic collapse and starvation of Southern Italians influenced a lot of immigrants. Pull factors are factors that attracted immigrants to America. Considered to be the most attractive pull factor was freedom, as immigrants looked for a place to practice anything they desired. Also, economic opportunities gave immigrants a reason to seek a better life, and they found it in America. Because of the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican Cession effect on America was gaining more than enough land, this attracted Europeans who faced overcrowding in their country. There were limited restrictions for immigrants to get into America but only 2% of immigrants were turned away.
Therefore, there was mass immigration in the USA between the years 1890 and 1914 as the immigrants’ lives in their native countries was poor and they looked for a better place to live with freedom and opportunities which they found in America