Arriving in America, 1845 to 1920
D2.Geo.7.3-5
Read each text, then answer the questions.
Ellis Island
An information text written for this worksheet. Ellis Island, in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty, opened as an immigration station on January 1, 1892. About 12 million immigrants passed through it before it closed in 1954. Doctors checked each arrival for illness, and officers asked questions about family, work and money. Most people passed through in a few hours. About 2 out of every 100 were sent back, usually because of illness.
- 1. About how many immigrants passed through it?
- 2. What does this text not tell you about the immigrants?
- 3. Were most immigrants at Ellis Island allowed in? How do you know?
The Chinese Exclusion Act
An information text written for this worksheet. Chinese immigrants worked in the California gold fields and built much of the transcontinental railroad. Some white workers blamed them for low wages, and Chinese Americans faced violence and unfair laws. In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. It stopped Chinese workers from immigrating and kept Chinese immigrants from becoming citizens. It was the first major US law to keep out people of one nationality. Congress repealed it in 1943, during World War II, when China was an ally of the United States.
- 1. What did the law stop?
- 2. Why did some people want to keep Chinese workers out?
- 3. When was the law repealed?
LessonPrint · D2.Geo.7.3-5 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use