"The promise of America is a simple
promise: Every person shall share in the blessings of this land."
~ Lyndon B. Johnson
"We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people,
different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different
dreams."
~ Jimmy Carter
primary source set
This Primary Source Set includes images, sheet music and analysis tools to help teach about immigration.
American Women - Area Studies Collections - American Jewish Women - (Special Presentation) This section of the American Women Gateway includes a brief history of Jewish women in America from 1654 to present and links to search strategies and selected sources on the topic.
Arthur Szyk: Artist for Freedom - (Exhibition) Explore the intricate drawings and cartoons created by Arthur Szyk, a Polish Jewish artist who emigrated to the United States in the 1940s.
Celtic Roots: Stories, Songs and Traditions From Across the Sea - (Cybercast) View a cybercast of this 2002 Library of Congress children’s program celebrating Irish immigrants who arrived in America in the 1880s. Background information, activities and resources are included.
Chinese and Westward Expansion - (Special Presentation) Read an essay and view a gallery of images documenting 19th century immigration of the Chinese to California.
Coming to America - (Wise Guide) Read the May, 2003 article featuring Library of Congress immigration resources.
Ethnic and Multicultural History - (Internet Resources) Links to selected Internet resources outside the Library of Congress from the Learning Page. immigration
Finns in America, The - (Special Presentation) This presentation provides information about immigration from Finland to the United States, and about the activities of Finnish-American immigrants in the United States from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Germans in America, The - (Special Presentation)This presentation provides information about immigration from the German-speaking world to the United States, and about the activities of German immigrants in the United States from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Great American Potluck, The - (Collaborative Project) Join us in The Great American Potluck! Can we learn about a nation's history through its food? Help us answer this question by sharing in The Great American Potluck!
Haven to Home: An American Journey - (Cybercast) This live performance tells the stories of Emma Lazarus, an immigrant's daughter who became known as Lady Liberty's poet, and Irving Berlin, an immigrant who became one of America's best loved composers.
Immigrant Arrivals: A Guide to Published Sources - (Library of Congress Bibliography) This extensive online guide from the Local History and Genealogy Reading Room features a helpful introduction and listing of immigration books and online resources on the topic.
Immigrants and Immigration Pathfinder - (Learning Page Pathfinder)This page provides links to Library of Congress collections containing immigration documents.
Immigration - (Feature) Observe the building of a nation. Don't miss the interactive timelines and maps that show immigration patterns! Let your students have fun with the vocabulary activities, too!
Jewish Women’s Issues - (Cybercast) Author Susan Weidman Schneider, editor-in-chief of Lilith, discusses her experiences.
Luxembourgers in Amerida - (Special Presentation) Learn about immigration from Luxembourg to the United States, and about the activities of Luxembourger immigrants in the United States from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Portuguese in the United States, The - (Special Presentation) This extensive online collection developed by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress documents the history of Portuguese immigration to the United States.
Second Wave: European Immigration from 1850-1920, The - (Professional Development) In this teacher workshop, participants will follow a set of Web links to documents and images to uncover what America was like for immigrants arriving at the turn of the century.
Slovaks in America, The - (Special Presentation) View an illustrated chronology of Slovak immigration to America from 1695 to the 1990s.
Time Capsule in a Milk Can - (Library of Congress Live) Use this Learning Guide to help students learn about Emmanuel Ringelblum and the secret archives of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Today's Immigrants - (Collaborative Project) By conducting and publishing interviews, student historians are invited to tell the story of immigration to the U.S. in the late 20th- and early 21st-centuries.
American Treasures: An Elegy for Fire Victims - (Exhibition) View this sheet music - an elegy to the 146 victims, mostly young Jewish and Italian immigrant women, who perished in the March 25, 1911, fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory.
Can You Speak Irish? - (Learning Page Activity) Although English is the Irish national language, can your students match these Irish words with their American meanings?
Jump Back in Time: January 1, 1892 - (America’s Library) The first immigrant landed on Ellis Island. Learn about Annie Moore’s arrival from Ireland in 1892.
Today in History (December 2, 1763) Touro Synagogue - (Today in History) On this date, members of the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island witnessed the dedication of the Touro Synagogue, the first synagogue in what became the United States.(scroll down page)
Use these lesson plans (created
by educators for educators) to explore topics about immigration
with your students in your classroom:
Down the Rabbit Hole - (Grades 6-8) Students uncover the common themes of the immigrant experience.
All History is Local - (Grades 9-12) Creating an archive of primary source materials constitutes the principal activity of a year-long American Studies class focusing on historiography and the use of primary sources.
Images of Our People - (Grades 5-12) Students investigate the cultures of the western United States and identify their contributions to the nation.
Immigration/Migration - (Grade 11) Students compare the immigration/migration experiences of their families to those of people living through the Great Depression.
Links to the Past - (Grades 6-12) Students create scripts depicting the experiences of immigrants who settled California between 1849 and 1900.
Port of Entry - (Grades 6-12) Students assume the role of historical detective and search for clues about immigrant life in the United States.
Turn-of-the-Century Child - (Grades 6-8) Students develop a richly realized "persona" from the same geographic region and ethnic background as a child photographed at the turn of the century.
History Firsthand - (Grades 4-8) Elementary students use immigration as a theme to begin understanding primary sources.
Learning About Immigration Through Oral History - (Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12,) Students engage in visual and information literacy exercises to gain an understanding of how to identify and interpret primary historical sources, specifically oral histories.
Is there
a title (or two) that you always read to (or with) your students
when teaching about this theme? Are there
invaluable reference books that you use?
Staff from The Library of Congress have begun a collection of
titles for the "Immigration" theme. We hope you will contribute
your favorites to our growing bibliography!
Leonard Bernstein Collection, ca. 1920-1989, The - (Summary Only) This collection documents the life and work of Leonard Bernstein, American composer, conductor, teacher, and pianist who infused his work with his Jewish heritage.
American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870-1920, The - (Summary and Teaching Resources) The Yiddish theater developed as a uniquely American form in the Eastern European Jewish immigrant community in New York City, and other urban centers, during the early twentieth century. This collection includes 77 unpublished manuscripts.
