Immigration to America after the Civil War - Essay Example

Immigration to America after the Civil War America experienced turbulent times during the civil war that resulted into massive deaths and economic destabilization. The country was to embark on building the economy especially for the southern states that were greatly affected by the war. The basis of the war had economical motivations related to the use of slaves for labor. The war ceased in 1865 and immediately immigration dynamics were completely changed, immigrations to the United States increased tremendously (Digital History 1). The rise was attributed to several factors motivated by the need to stabilize the economy and balance demand and supply. Immigrations to the United States after the Civil War had many economic benefits and a few negative implications to the country. Labor was at the center of focus after the abolition of the slave trade. An aberration from the trend seen in 1860, the number of workers compared to the total population rose from 33% to 40%, this represented growth by a factor of 2.7 between 1870 and 1920 (Walton & Rockoff 319). This prompted need for labor that ended up facilitating migration of people to the United States. The lives of the people who worked as slaves were fully transformed since there was no more forced labor. On the other hand, the large-scale farmers had a difficult moment adjusting to the new system of operations. This led to failure of some and rising of small-scale producers, who took advantage of the labor boycott by the slaves. The deficit created in terms of labor attracted foreigners who came to America in large numbers. In addition, the situation was aggravated by other external factors as the Irish Potato Famine in Ireland. The rise in population because of immigration acted as a catalyst to the rise of the rapid industrialization experienced between 1877 and 1900. The number of immigrants rose to more than seven million during the period. This was accompanied by a tremendous increase in population from 49 million in 1880 to 76 million in 1900 (White 1). The immigrants occupied most parts of America except the southern parts that were fully occupied by American farmers and industrialists. Many industries came up while those affected by the war restructured prompting the demand for additional labor. New production processes were initiated and research was intensified in order to facilitate industrial development. By 1900, many industries stood tall in provision of quality goods and services. This enhanced competition and trade (White 1). Increasing population facilitated a change in the demand and supply dynamics. The increased population provided a broad market for goods and services, a factor that made it possible to increase the supply. In order, to take care of the supply needs individuals and corporate emerged with solutions to handle the increased supply. There was need for shelter that facilitated initiation of housing projects, need for food that boosted agriculture, the need for clothing facilitated the revamping of cotton farming and establishments of ginneries among other establishments. This demand created high production that facilitated trade within the country as well as opened new frontiers of business especially in Europe (White 1). The immigration rate was a blessing in disguise, since some of the immigrants helped reconnect America with their mother countries hence facilitating knowledge sharing and trading activities. Surplus production increased tremendously. Immigrations to the United States triggered economic changes that were politically motivated. It is worth noting that during the Civil War, there was a great rift between the people of the southern parts of United States and the federal government under Abraham Lincoln. The people of south had an ideological difference with the leadership of the federal government since they wanted to retain slave trade (Digital History 2). Immigration facilitated an anti-democratic movement that was meant to put restriction on voting rights. The movement pushed for restriction in voting suggesting that it will be a strategy to check corruption, promote a political culture and bar the immigrants and the blacks from participating in politics. Policies were put in place to limit immigration, these included the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Immigration Act of 1891.The strategy alienated the poor, who were mainly former slaves, and the immigrants from participating in shaping the politics of the country. Economic factors prompted people from different parts of the world to immigrate to America in search of opportunities. Land was cheap in America, a factor that attracted many people especially from Europe where land was relatively expensive. Because of the rapid growth in America and the abolishment of slave trade, labor became expensive. In an effort to seek better pay, many people from Asia, Africa and Europe landed in America. In fact, the Americans did a lot of advertising in Europe. Several other challenges in home countries including political instability created a room for many people to leave their countries for the United States. Many Jews flew their country in order to run away from the harsh Russian empire. The same situation was evident in Norway and Sweden where people massively migrated to America due to religious oppression and poverty (Walton nad Rockoff 326). The massive immigration hampered economic progress for the people who served as slaves. Resulting from the diversity created in provision of labor. Racial discrimination took center stage. Most of the former slaves, mainly the blacks were reduced to performing manual jobs and could not be given opportunities to perform white-collar jobs. In supporting the argument, Roy Beck places the current situation of asset deficit among the blacks as a factor of the massive immigrations that occurred between 1865 and 1924 (Beck 1). The immigrations made the African Americans not to fully achieve the fruits of abolition of slave trade. The freedom was greatly affected by the massive immigration since the whites took up most opportunities. The blacks were not given an opportunity to utilize the chance. However, some of the African Americans strived to rise to the middle class through entrepreneurship and farming by overcoming the humiliation and some collaborating with the white farmers and industrialists. American immigrants were very instrumental in developing networks with the rest of the world. A great diversity was achieved from the immigrations, a factor that facilitated creation of operating networks with the rest of the world. The first immigrants realized the opportunities, captured them, took time to settle and went for their friends and family members back in their countries. This accelerated the rate of movement of people to America, a situation that had far-reaching economic as well as social implications. Apart from the movements, new opportunities were established in export trade and knowledge sharing. It became easier for the Asians, Africans and the Europeans to compare notes with the Americans. Industrialization was greatly promoted by the ties with the rest of the world. The massive movement also facilitated the scramble and partition for Africa, since the European countries were more confident and very outgoing in seeking opportunities all across the world. The market for cotton and other agricultural products improved was boosted especially for the trade ties with Europe (Walton & Rockoff 324). The demand for transport facilities was very high prompting the advancements in the means of transport. Railroads were advanced to meet the transport requirements of the expanding economy. Efficiency in transportation of goods and workers was vital. The improved infrastructure was specifically very beneficial to the manufacturing sector, an aspect that made United States to dominate in coal production, steel and iron production. Compared to the leaders in Europe such as Britain, America closed the century as a major manufacturing country. This advantage was facilitated by the long depression in Western Europe. However, it was not all rosy for America; there were difficult times as well as peak times (White 1). During the difficult moments like the Great Depression, the number of immigrants reduced tremendously. This was facilitated by the panic that accompanied the Great Depression. The immigrations were coupled with rise in social classes among the population. There were high expectations that the end to civil war would secure the small producers, while ensuring contract freedom. This was not the case given that most of those humiliated by the oppressive slavery found it difficult to establish their independence from their employers. They may have wanted to be free but their freedom was limited by the fact that they lived in poverty hence prompting them to continue relying on their masters (Digital History 1). The immigrants were categorized into classes based on their income. Most of those who were slaves remained in the lower class while the whites especially from Europe were embraced into the middle class and the wealthy class depending on their income. The multicultural diversity in American after the civil war brought about ethnic disparities that had far-reaching economic implications. Almost all races found their way to America. Most of the immigrants came as a result of influence from relatives and friends hence there was a tendency of individuals who shared common cultural background residing in the same place as well as sharing the same line of employment. This killed the spirit of unity and facilitated disparity between cultures. However, in some situations the cultural exchange was strength and helped the American population to embrace diversity. The diversity was very instrumental in facilitating trade. This is because production was customized according to the specific needs in the society involved. It was also a mind opener for the producers to embrace production practices to target the rest of the parts of the world (White 1). Immigration revolutionized the economy of America, slowly becoming the world’s superpower. The economic benefits derived from the labor and the creativity brought by the foreigners played a critical role in promoting United States and placing it in the map of the world. The country had gained a bad reputation after the civil war and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln but the fruits of the sacrifice made by this icon were seen in the close of the century. America exported a variety of goods to the rest of the world and developed trading ties that facilitated the industrial revolution. In conclusion, the migration of foreigners to America was a very important economic factor to its glory up to the modern times. However, there are negative aspects that have their basis from this period. The economic contribution of the immigrants in provision of labor, developing trading relationships, opening America to the world, and investment in agriculture and industries were a key catalyst to the development of America. The fact that Black Americans were sidelined from this period is a reason for the lower asset base than their white counterparts. Works Cited Beck, Roy. The case Against Immigration. New York W.W. Norton & Company. 1996. Print Digital History. America’s Reconstruction. 2003. Web. 19 Nov. 2013 http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/exhibits/reconstruction/section3/section3_free.html White, Richard. The Rise of Industrial America, 1877-1900. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. 2009. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/essays/rise-industrial-america-1877-1900 Read More