Description
Guided Response: Respond in a substantive manner to at least three of your classmates. Each response should be at least 100 words. Be sure to relate your discussion back to the course materials and move the conversation forward by asking a question, raising a new point, or elaborating more thoroughly upon a point already raised.
Classmates # 1 Jacqueline Doss
What are some of the ways that restrictions and beliefs based on race, ethnicity, gender, and national origin shaped American society in the latter half of the 1800s?
Restrictions and beliefs based on race, ethnicity, gender, and national origin shaped American society in a negative manner. Chinese who were allowed access into the United States were being discriminated against and were being threatened with and sometimes faced with violence. There was an act, Chinese Exclusion Act, that restricted Chinese labor workers, there was a restriction on Chinese Women and non-whites were banned as naturalized citizens.
Assess how these restrictions shaped your chosen group’s experience of the industrial revolution or westward expansion.
Though there were restrictions on non-whites, African Americans were allowed during the westward expansion to work on farms and even the textbook states, “African American cowboys found opportunities in the West not available to them in the East” (Barnes & Bowles, 2015). The westward expansion was mostly expanding to White Americans, Latinos, Native American, and European and Chinese immigrants.
Explain the changes that members of your chosen group made possible during this period.
During this period, African Americans continued to work side by side with Native Americans and Whites on farm land in addition to four African Americans nicknamed, “Buffalo Soldiers” who became a part of the US Army to help fight against the threat of Native Americans who were fighting against land settlers.
References:
Barnes, L. & Bowles, M. (2015). The American Story: Perspectives and Encounters from 1877. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUHIS206.15.2/se…
Classmates # 2 Ryan Richard
Between 1877 and 1900, 12 million immigrants came to the United States searching for better lives in what was believed to be a nation of streets paved in gold. When these “new immigrants” arrived in the United States, fleeing unemployment, famine, and forced military service, many found work in some of the least desired areas of work (Barnes & Bowles, 2015). Many ethnic groups found themselves establishing tightly knit communities based upon one ethnicity, which would contain many comforts of their homelands, such as shared religions, specialized ethnic food, and entertainment, as well as, newspapers written in their native languages, and community groups that would assist in transitioning into American life (Barnes & Bowles, 2015, sec. 2.1).
Cultural and ethnic differences of the “new immigrants” of the late nineteenth century made them targets of hatred by native-born Americans, who saw their cultural differences and general willingness to work for lower wages as a foreign threat. Anti-Chinese sentiment in Western states was the most dramatic. Congress passed legislation barring Chinese women from entering the country, and in 1882, a 10-year ban on Chinese labor immigration was established and was renewed continuously until 1943 (Barnes & Bowles, 2015). Although a xenophobic mentality plagued much of the population and restrictive legislation continued to pass in government, Chinese and other immigrant groups continued to make their way to the United States and build distinctive communities. They also brought with them their cultures and dreams of what America’s potential could be. Immigrants made America what it is today, and without the significant influxes of immigrants throughout the nation’s history, the idealisms Americans hold so dear, such as a strong work ethic and community, would not exist in their current form.
References
Barnes, L. D. & Bowles, M. (2015). The American story: Perspectives and encounters from 1877 [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
Classmate #3 Jeanetha Pettaway
The world of the workers were mostly what brought about a change. The different cultures and races were a issue more in the beginning than later. Americans and Chinese always had problems dealing with wages. The railroad jobs brought a lot of opportunities to provide for their families. All families mainly struggled to get by on small wages compared to todays money. Women and men worked in many unsafe conditions and during a certain period of time there were restrictions about race and genders. Democrats and Republicans had more rights to decline the movement and economic matters. Immigrants had many jobs because of the building they needed done in the new south. There were many jobs brought about as cities became closer. The region suffered during the war but some didn’t. Steel mills recruited different races such as African Americans and poor whites because the increase of the jobs. The industry was a way they escape rural poverty. Some said they rather have African American because they were more loyal and less reliable to strike. The rise of Jim Crow and escalation against violence of African American southerners grew out white southerners(Dailey,2000). Whites only signs were brought about but they had even more restricted segregation. The schools were segregated and blacks could not vote.
I choice to do my final project on women. Women were outnumbered and limited in many areas. Women were mostly only to work from home or garden jobs to prepare family meals. There were some mill jobs women took on but mostly for the ones that were young and not married. Women were dancers and prostitutes in the beginning of the reading. They later were able to work normal jobs although they still had restrictions. Women were responsible for the garden and children.
Barnes, L. D. & Bowles. M. (2015). The American story: Perspectives and encounters from 1877{ Electronic version}. Retrieved from http://content.ashford. edu/
