Research Paper On America A Melting Pot

America: The Melting Pot

The term the melting pot was coined in 1782 by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur. It was a term used to describe the new country and all of its new inhabitants. Where people from different countries and different races and ethnicities could come together to form a new race of people; the American. It encompassed taking the good, strong qualities from each culture and keeping them to form an overall new culture.
“Across four centuries, the steady arrival of millions of immigrants into North America created a human alloy, in which different metals combined to make something stronger than each individual component . . . And each immigrant wave gave the United States great gifts in return: music, laughter, theater,
vaudeville, big time sports, food, and language” (6). Many of the people who came to America in the early days did not do so by choice. They came as slaves or prisoners or indentured servants. Living conditions for many upon arrival were abysmal. If you did not know the English language it was very hard to obtain employment or housing or do just about anything for that matter. Before 1820 nearly eight million people who came to America came against their will, as slaves (7). If you came to America as an indentured servant or became one upon arrival because you could not afford to pay your passage you became the property of your purchaser for a period of usually 4 to 7 years. In essence, you were a slave. The work was hard for those who arrived and did not have any skills in a particular trade. Disease ran rampant and the dangers were many. The journey to America was a hellish one and you were very fortunate if you survived to see the New Land.
Many people became ill on the ships and died. Children were frequently the victims, especially those between one and seven years old (8). Measles and smallpox were the cause of death for many children. Food and water would often run low or become contaminated before the journey was over leaving even more people susceptible to death and disease. The food was so dirty as to hardly be palatable and the water was often black, full of worms and foul smelling (8). Death onboard was caused by many different things; childbirth, dysentery, cholera, typhus, inadequate and poor quality food and water, sickness, accidents, fire, and shipwrecks. Captains and other officers had a bad habit of exploiting their passengers. They would withhold rations from some women to try and coerce them into sexual relations. Over time there was legislation and laws passed to help protect passengers (1). The journey to America could take anywhere from six weeks to four months depending on how many customs houses the ship had to stop at before getting out to open sea and what kind of weather was encountered along the way. Living conditions on the boats were horrible. Each ship carried between four and six hundred passengers (8), as well as many other supplies. Space was very limited and with so many people aboard the sounds and smells from those who were sick and dying could become very
disconcerting. Among those immigrating to America there were Europeans, Africans, Swedes, Dutch, Germans, French, Scottish, Irish, Spanish, and Italians. Around the mid-nineteenth century those who came to America of their own free will did so because of the lure of freedom, jobs, and available farmland (9). Political freedom and religious tolerance also drew people to America. There was plenty of land and it was fairly cheap to purchase, and there were many jobs to be had (3). The Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged people to move West with the promise of 160 acres of land for a small filing fee, and after five years they would own it for no further charges (2). So essentially you were being given 160 acres of land for a small pittance. Around this time a political party known as the Know Nothing’s was also forming to try to put an end to immigration. Those who were born in America became resentful of those immigrating to America. The party was formed in 1849 and had disbursed by 1860, but in that time there were fights between native born Americans and immigrants that resulted in some deaths and burning of Catholic churches (4). Upon arriving in America you were free to become whatever person you wanted to be. Crevecoeur went so far as to say that “we are the most perfect society now existing in the world. Here man is free as he ought to be; nor is this pleasing equality so transitory as many others are” (10). I think he felt America was the most perfect society because it was free from tyranny, free from oppressive leaders, and there was no religious bigotry. Everyone was free to practice their beliefs and work to provide for themselves and their families instead of working their lives away to benefit those who were in power as they had done in their country of origin. Freedom in America would not be fleeting. It was something that would never be taken away from its people. Upon arriving in this new land you were forced to undergo some changes in yourself and your views in order to make the transition into this new society as easy as possible. Sometimes you had to let go of your traditional ways of thinking, your ideals and your former prejudices. You had to adopt a new language and learn a new way of life. You had to become familiar with the nuances and gestures of American society. For some the transition into American society was easier than others. I think this depended on how attached you were to the old ways of the country you had left behind. If you were willing to learn the English language and accept this new culture the transition would be a lot smoother and you would be a happier person for it. In Marie Arana’s memoirs from American Chica she talks about how her mother had been unhappy in their homeland of Peru and coming to America made her a very happy and animated person, she began to take great joy in life and all that she did. On the other hand was her father who became very unhappy living in America. He missed the old ways and his friends and family that he had left behind in Peru, and he had trouble understand the English language and often had to have Arana translate for him (11). There was a sense of dual identity that many immigrants had to cope with, that of the old way of life and the new way of life that they had to adapt to. There were those who came to America with a very positive attitude and they refused to let their hopes and dreams be dashed and scattered to the wind. One such person was Carl Schurz. In his memoirs from Reminiscences he wrote that “having determined to make the United States my home, I was resolved to look at everything from the brightest side, and not permit myself to be discouraged by any disappointment” (12). He was the type who saw the glass half full. No matter what life threw at him he was willing to make the best of it. His first task was to learn English. He knew this would be imperative to his success in America. He taught himself the English language in less than six months. Women were faced with unique challenges of their own.
They had to fight to earn the rights that white men enjoyed. They had to fight for a right to education, a right to vote, and the right to own property and work. One of the first movements in which women took an active hand was the female seminary movement which began its serious phase about 1815 (5). This movement was meant to improve the quality of women’s educations. It was still very segregated as far as men and women would be educated separately and in different matters, but it was a step in the right direction for women. Women also participated in the movement to abolish slavery. And in the 1830’s when more women were joining the work force women’s unions were formed to fight for better working conditions and better pay. Sarah Grimke once wrote “All I ask our brethren is that they take their feet from off our neck and permit us to stand upright on the ground which God destined for us to occupy” (5). Women were no longer willing to sit back and be docile and demure as men deemed proper. They wanted to their rights and they wanted to be seen as
equals. For those immigrating to America there would be many obstacles to overcome in the process of assimilating to a new land and a new way of life. There were many struggles ahead of those coming to America but the rewards could be great. There was the promise of freedom, a liberal government, the right to practice whatever religion you wanted, there was land to be had and the right to be whoever you chose to be. The idea of class was a much looser subject in America than it was in other countries. If you were poor that did not mean you could not become well to do. It was a dangerous journey getting to America and some were certainly not as lucky as others but the lure of America was great and many were willing to sacrifice everything for the chance to start over in a new land. The land of the free, the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey.