Immigration: from the founding of Virginia to the closing of Ellis Island

Abstract

Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that immigrants were American history, American historian Oscar Handlin once wrote. The history of immigration to America not only provides insights into the nation's ever-changing character, it also reveals how the phenomenon has affected nearly every aspect of the country's existence, including historical, legislative, social, political, and cultural developments. Immigration is a fascinating look at a popular - and often controversial - topic in American history. Enhanced by contemporary accounts and testimonies by and about immigrants, this volume explores the conditions that forced different groups from their native lands, the physical and emotional challenges they faced, the receptions they encountered, and the influences they had upon American life.