The fears of many of New England’s native-born toward immigrants in general, but toward Eastern Europeans in particular, are shown here, as are their prejudices. The article considers these new arrivals to be “our inferiors” in “all points of civilized development.” They clustered in several Western Massachusetts communities, most notably South Deerfield, Greenfield, and Turners Falls. Both Turners Falls and Greenfield were regional centers and manufacturing towns, while South Deerfield was agricultural. The number of immigrants was not large and the 1900 census listed only 724 out of a county population of 34,425, but since they tended to live in communities dominated by Eastern Europeans, their presence seemed larger.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “Are We To Be Polanized?.” May 19, 1900. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-157/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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