Immigration in 1830s and \'40S

Immigration in 1830s and '40s

Why Was Immigration Controversial in 1830s and '40s?

The United States may be considered a country of immigrants as the country was founded by them. The founding fathers, including George Washington, therefore were not against immigrants. After the United States was established as an independent nation, however, the early citizens began to see themselves as the natives. These natives primarily consisted of white Protestant men. In the 1820s, the United States began to prosper, expanding westward and offering plenty of opportunities to farmers and workers, while many European countries were rife with conflicts, political turmoil, and hunger. As a result, in the following two decades, the United States experienced the first massive wave of immigration.

The immigrants in this era came from mostly Northern and Western Europe, especially Ireland and Germany. Millions of Europeans flocked to the United States, to flee civil unrest and hardships in their countries and to begin a new life which they believed America promised. While Germans fled riots and rebellions, the Irish fled the potato famine. In America, free enterprise was growing and many were willing to absorb the European immigrants who were willing to work for lower wages than the native laborers. And since the country was moving westward, the available land for farming was plentiful. But soon after, the immigrants began to face stiff opposition from the native population.

There were several reasons why the new immigrants were not welcome. One of the reasons was religious. Americans who were mostly Protestant and detested the Pope, and did not welcome large number of Catholics from Ireland and Germany. The immigrants were viewed as a threat to religious unity and harmony of the nation. Another reason was political opposition to the Democratic Party. The Democrats tried to appeal to the needs of commoners, and many immigrants, therefore, supported the Democratic Party. The numerical edge granted to Democrats by the growing number of immigrants angered many Americans.

The main opposition, however, was generated by the fact that the immigrants competed with local laborers. Most immigrants had suffered from unendurable economic hardships in their home countries and therefore agreed to work for wages far lower than what local laborers normally received. Big companies were also eager to hire immigrants to reduce their own expenditures. This led to a wave of anti-Catholic riots that targeted immigrants. The largest of such riots took place in Philadelphia in 1844, involving Protestants, Catholics, and local militia. The riot killed sixteen people, injured several dozens, and destroyed over forty buildings.