Immigration
These cartoons portray the immense fear that engulfed America during the 1860s at the time when the Irish and Chinese immigrants had significantly increased in number. First, there is the dread of the natives, represented by Uncle Sam, being swallowed by foreign immigrants. In the first instance, both the Chinese and Irish are devouring the American. In the next instance, after the native has been consumed, the Chinese man turns against the Irish and consumes him too. Far of within the background, several railroads are also to be seen (Brinkley, 2010, p.78).
The Irish migrated to America mostly between the years 1830 and 1890. This they did to evade the potato famine, which led to a great loss of lives as well as their British property owners. Ireland was at the time marked with a period of the great depression and a number of social hardships, causing many deaths in the remote areas (Brinkley, 2010, p.73). However, the Irish at the time had less money and minimal expertise in farming and were least interested in it.
The Chinese immigration to America was prevalent between the years 1849 and 1882, before their immigration was halted by federal laws. Most of them came to work within short periods while remitting their earnings to their families because this was the California Gold Rush Period (The Book of Knowledge). At first, they came in search for riches but eventually ventured into restaurants, laundries as well as a number of other small investments. This caused a lot of competition between them and European immigrants in the 1870s. Because of the ensuing difficult times, people developed hatred and suspicion against the Chinese leading to the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) by the Congress.
References
Brinkley, A. (2010). The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
The Book of Knowledge. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2011, from Immigration: http://www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/GNPS/Pages/elemlinks/webquest/Immigration/immigrationdef.htm
