U.S. Immigration in the 1900s

The year is 1910, and Emma Schweitzer and her family are immigrating to America in hopes of finding a better life. Their German colony in South Russia is falling under new restrictions imposed by the Russian government, and in order to escape poverty and tyranny, the family decides to move to North Dakota to live with an uncle. But their journey is not an easy one. The ship is overcrowded, health inspectors can detain any family or deny them entry, and swindlers are eager to prey on new immigrants. Can Emma be strong enough to succeed in a new country where she can't even understand the language? Through Emma's story, this gripping historical novel captures the hardships immigrants faced in pursuit of the American dream.

Immigrant groups were not treated equally when they arrived in America. Some were loved and welcomed. Others were hated and cast aside. Compare and contrast immigrant experiences and how those experiences changed the United States. Meets Common Core standards for comparing accounts of an event.

Millions of people made the long journey to America in the early 1900s. They looked for freedom, safety, or the promise of a new life. Follow the waves of immigrants that flooded into the United States to see why they came and how they changed the country. Meets Common Core standards for analyzing chronology text structures.

Immigrants gazed upon the towering Statue of Liberty and entered the gates of Ellis Island in order to begin their journeys in America. Meet the immigrants who were processed at Ellis Island, and hear their stories through their own words. Meets Common Core standards for analyzing multiple accounts of an event.