The Old world
Before the start of the great migration in 1881, most Jews lived in Eastern Europe.
Centralized in countries like Russia, Poland, and among the other eastern bloc nations they lived in
autocracies and endured harsh conditions. Heavy restrictions on rights and liberties were daily life for them.
Forced away from land owning jobs such as farming, many were forced to make their living in towns and cities
as artisans who worked industrial jobs. However, rising anti-Semitism (prejudice against Jews)
in Russia and among other eastern countries led to the emigration of many Jews to the west. Lacking
the rights to own land, practice their religion, live outside of certain areas, among other unfair
policies made them live hard lives. To have even more restrictions imposed on them was adding
to their burden and caused many to feel mistreated.
A large massacre of Jews in Warsaw in 1881, by the name of the Warsaw Pogrom, was the
inciting event that pushed many Polish Jews to abandon their homes in pursuit
of freedom and escape from oppression. Tired of autocratic rule that had little freedom they
looked to a country that was ruled by the people and promised rights to all its citizens. This
country was the United States of America.
On their journey the Jews walked and rode their way from the eastern Bloc to the western
countries of France and Britain over many months of non-stop travel. After a trip from 2000-
3000 kilometers they used what little money they had to purchase boat tickets to America. Many
of these families could only afford one or two tickets. As a solution to this they would send the
young men of the families to the U.S. where they would work and supply their family with both
an anchor in the country and a source of income to buy the tickets for the rest of the waiting
family.
It was at this time that immigration to America exploded. Immigrants from Southern and
Eastern Europe all tried to come to “the land of opportunity” in search of a new life. Hundreds
of thousands of eastern Jews and southern Italians crossed the Atlantic to settle in the east coast.
This influx of immigrants was looked down upon by the general population of America who
were mainly of Anglo-Saxon descent.
Centralized in countries like Russia, Poland, and among the other eastern bloc nations they lived in
autocracies and endured harsh conditions. Heavy restrictions on rights and liberties were daily life for them.
Forced away from land owning jobs such as farming, many were forced to make their living in towns and cities
as artisans who worked industrial jobs. However, rising anti-Semitism (prejudice against Jews)
in Russia and among other eastern countries led to the emigration of many Jews to the west. Lacking
the rights to own land, practice their religion, live outside of certain areas, among other unfair
policies made them live hard lives. To have even more restrictions imposed on them was adding
to their burden and caused many to feel mistreated.
A large massacre of Jews in Warsaw in 1881, by the name of the Warsaw Pogrom, was the
inciting event that pushed many Polish Jews to abandon their homes in pursuit
of freedom and escape from oppression. Tired of autocratic rule that had little freedom they
looked to a country that was ruled by the people and promised rights to all its citizens. This
country was the United States of America.
On their journey the Jews walked and rode their way from the eastern Bloc to the western
countries of France and Britain over many months of non-stop travel. After a trip from 2000-
3000 kilometers they used what little money they had to purchase boat tickets to America. Many
of these families could only afford one or two tickets. As a solution to this they would send the
young men of the families to the U.S. where they would work and supply their family with both
an anchor in the country and a source of income to buy the tickets for the rest of the waiting
family.
It was at this time that immigration to America exploded. Immigrants from Southern and
Eastern Europe all tried to come to “the land of opportunity” in search of a new life. Hundreds
of thousands of eastern Jews and southern Italians crossed the Atlantic to settle in the east coast.
This influx of immigrants was looked down upon by the general population of America who
were mainly of Anglo-Saxon descent.