1. What Immigrants from Europe
Wanted and Gained from Coming to
America between 1607-1911
By: Sarah, Robbie, and Dom

2. Day 5, Group C
• What immigrants from Europe wanted in
coming to America, and what America gave
them, both changed during the period 1607-
1911. Discuss changes BOTH in what these
immigrants wanted and what they found,
giving about equal attention to the periods of
1607-1790 and 1820-1915.

3. Thesis
• During the period of 1607 to 1911, America
was a foreign and mysterious land to
outsiders. Immigrants from poverty-stricken
and desolate countries in Europe wanted to
start a new life in America, some of these
groups found what they were searching for,
while others continued to face misfortune.

4. 1607-1790
What they were searching for
• Most immigrants coming to colonial America
wanted a fresh start in life.
• Colonists from England wanted to experience
the religious freedoms that the New World
had in store for them.
• The Separatists of England wanted to find a
safe haven where they could die as English
men and women, and as purified protestants.

5. 1607-1790
What they were searching for
• Other groups/people wanted to discover great
riches and a daring adventure, such as Henry
Hudson from the Netherlands.

6. Religious Tolerance

7. 1607-1790
What they Found
• Some colonists experienced new opportunities
such as, success via trading, growing crops, and
plantations.
– Tobacco, sugar cane, and wheat were among the
more successful crops
• Other settlers like those from Jamestown
faced challenges they were not expecting such
as starvation and diseases. 40 of the
Jamestown settlers died before even stepping
foot on shore.

8. 1607-1790
What they found
• The Puritans who traveled to the New World on
the Mayflower faced some difficult challenges in
the beginning, but soon found the religious peace
that they were searching for.
• Henry Hudson and other immigrants from the
Netherlands ventured into the Delaware Bay and
then ascended up what is now The Hudson River.
New Netherlands was founded in 1623-1624 in
the Hudson River area. They made many smart
business deals such as buying New Amsterdam,
now New York City, from the Indians.

9. 1820-1915
What they were searching for
• Europe was becoming overcrowded at this
time and expansion was necessary due to the
lack of space in many European cities.
• Religious groups in Europe (such as the Jews
or the Quakers) were seeking religious
freedoms available in America.

10. 1820-1915
What they were searching for
• Food shortages, like the famine in Ireland, also
drove people to emigrate to America seeking
the opportunity to farm on the open land that
America had recently acquired, such as land
from Mexico and the Louisiana Purchase.
• America was known at this time as the land of
“economic opportunities” and this drew
immigrants, as they wanted to have a chance
to succeed financially.

11. Expectations

12. 1820-1915
What they Found
• Immigrants held America up on a pedestal and
thought all their problems would go away when
they arrived in the United States, but this was not
the case. Although many groups were better off
than they were in their homelands, they were
mistreated for being foreigners and different. The
Irish were treated like aliens until they were
accepted into society.
• Minorities and immigrants also made little in
wages compared to “regular” Americans (Irish
worked dangerous conditions on railroads).

13. Reality

14. 1820-1915
What they Found
• Due to persecution because they were foreigners,
immigrants had to create their own communities.
This led to Little Italy, Chinatown, etc. People did
not expect such prejudices in the “land of the
free”, but the communities it created are still
around today and a good source of culture.