Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Through the Golden Door-Immigration in the 1890s, Pt. 2
Seeing the Statue of Liberty, immigrants felt welcomed by their new country. It seemed they had found a place to belong. Surely one seeker of liberty would have much in common with another. New arrivals were filled with hope. The pioneers and seekers who had come before them had made it. So could they.
Americans, on the other hand, had mixed feelings. The streams of people pouring into their country brought both blessings and problems. It was true that those coming in had much in common with those who'd come before. The great patriots who'd built the nation had been aliens not so long ago. They'd left their homes and come looking for freedom. Wasn't that what the country was all about? Kind-hearted people within the U.S. formed groups to help the newcomers. They met the travelers at ports. They helped them find lodging and jobs. They also helped with language and other problems.
Immigrants found some people even more warm and friendly than Liberty's torch. New arrivals often passed through U.S. gates to find hordes of new "friends" waiting. These people were friendly for all the wrong reasons. They offered train tickets, homes, jobs, anything a traveler might want, for a price. Many were swindlers. Their aim was to part the newly-arrived from their money. Some dazed travelers lost all they had to con men.
