Why did Italians come to America?
There were many reasons why Italians came to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Poverty and overpopulation were both big reasons for Italians to leave Italy for a new place. Many Italians worked in rural areas and on farms, but the soil was getting really bad and it was hard to grow any crops. Because of this, there were very few jobs in Italy (and especially in southern Italy). Since there was such little food and so few jobs, diseases like cholera and malaria were making a lot of people sick. Since the conditions in Italy were so bad, coming to America gave Italians an opportunity to find work and make money to save and send home to their families.
Another reason Italians immigrated to America was that natural disasters were unusually frequent in Italy at this time. They were wiping away entire cities and killing hundreds of thousands of people. Two volcanos that erupted in the early 1900s were Mount Etna and Mount Vesuvius. When you watch the video below think about why natural disasters might have made many Italians want to leave Italy. Is this different from other groups of immigrants you have studied?
Another reason Italians immigrated to America was that natural disasters were unusually frequent in Italy at this time. They were wiping away entire cities and killing hundreds of thousands of people. Two volcanos that erupted in the early 1900s were Mount Etna and Mount Vesuvius. When you watch the video below think about why natural disasters might have made many Italians want to leave Italy. Is this different from other groups of immigrants you have studied?
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Does 4 million people seem like a really big number to you? Well, it is! Italy is the only country to this date that sent so many immigrants to America in such a short time.
Do you think that Italians came to America around the same time as other immigrants from different countries in Europe? Click here to check out a timeline of European immigration to America!
Do you think that Italians came to America around the same time as other immigrants from different countries in Europe? Click here to check out a timeline of European immigration to America!