Students will examine a variety of historical documents in order to understand contrasting views about foreign immigration, particularly Eastern European immigration, to the Pioneer Valley in and around the turn of the 20th century. This lesson will supplement classroom studies of immigration, urbanization, industrialization and the Progressive Era, and would fit appropriately in either unit.
After examining the documents, students will be able to:
- identify reasons why immigrants came to the Pioneer Valley
- state a case for and against foreign immigration
- identify stereotypes
- identify bias and points of view in written material
- relate local immigration to the broader issues of national immigration