Immigrants during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era made many sacrifices to come to America. You may recall that one of the “Shiny” parts of the Gilded Age was that America was a place of opportunity. After all, Andrew Carnegie overcame many obstacles from his immigrant background to become one of the wealthiest people in the world. So, what was the reality? What was the opportunity?
In this assignment, you will read about a family who migrated to America. First, Marie’s father came to set up a place for the family to live. Then, after saving for the passage, the rest of the family arrived. You will view a short video and “American Dream Meets Tenement Reality,” p. 385 from Sources for America’s History. Here is the link to the video. https://www.loc.gov/item/00694367
Answer the following questions in the drop box.
What were tenements like?
Why would Marie’s mother be disappointed? Why would Marie’s father feel hurt by his wife’s reaction?
As you view the short video, notice the visual description of the people leaving the ship. Which visual description do you think would match Marie and her family’s arrival.