The Dream of America: Immigration 1870-1920

The Dream of America: Immigration 1870-1920 provides users with a detailed and authoritative overview of this event, as well as the principal figures involved in this pivotal episode in U.S. history. The preparation and arrangement of this volume reflects an emphasis on providing a thorough and objective account of events that shaped our nation, presented in an easy-to-use reference work. It is divided into three primary sections. The first of these sections, the Narrative Overview, provides a detailed, factual account of the greatest sustained wave of immigration in U.S. history. This section also covers all aspects of the immigrants' experience, including their arduous ocean journeys, their passage through Ellis Island, and their struggles to build a better life in America.

The second section, Biographies, provides valuable biographical background on leading figures involved in this era, including Jane Addams, Henry Cabot Lodge, Robert Watchorn and William Williams. Each biography concludes with a list of sources for further information on the profiled individual.

The third section, Primary Sources, collects essential and illuminating documents on America's immigration history. This diverse collection includes poignant recollections of transatlantic voyages to America and arrivals at Ellis Island, muckraking reports on deplorable steerage conditions, turn-of-the-century editorials arguing for and against open immigration policies, true stories detailing the assimilation struggle that new immigrants faced, and diverse commentaries on the immigration issues confronting America in the 21st century.