Other America, The: Causes of the Civil Rights Movement
The fight against the racism of the Nazis in World War II raises the consciousness of Americans about racism in U.S. society. Black veterans return home with rising expectations, no longer willing to accept second-class status. During the Cold War i...
New Corporate Order, A: Growth of the Industrial Workforce
In the late 19th century, there is a dramatic expansion of industrial workers in the United States. Millions of laborers are drawn from the farm to industrial cities, lured by jobs and opportunity. Immigration increases because wages and living cond...
Racial Comparisons in Literature
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson explains that eugenics was a popular topic in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, often referred to by politicians in the discussion of American expansionism. Professor Jac...
Racial Politics and War
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson talks about the evolution of attitudes towards African-Americans in the United States, as well as the growth of the civil rights movement. Professor Jacobson links both in part to chang...
Race in America
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson argues that race and democracy have been intertwined since the earliest days of the United States. Professor Jacobson contends that, "...race is the most significant organizer of Americ...
Meeting Ground, The: Violence Against Chinese Grows
In order to survive in an unfriendly atmosphere, Chinese immigrants bond together, often living in enclaves referred to as Chinatowns. This protective gesture creates a new round of stereotypes about who they are and what their intentions are. Their...
Meeting Ground, The: Chinese Migration, The
Like generations of immigrants before them, the Chinese cross the Pacific looking for a better life than they could hope to find in their homeland. Relatively few arrive in California before the Gold Rush, but after 1848 the numbers increase dramati...
Naturalization Law of 1790, The
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson talks about the nation's first naturalization law (1790), which stipulated that only "free white persons" could be fully participating citizens.
Immigration: The Irish Become A Force
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson talks about the reasons behind the increasingly influential role played by Irish immigrants beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century in cities like New York, Boston, Milwaukee ...
Road to War, The: Organizing the Economy for War
The American Government and Politicsencourages the industrial economy to support the "Great War". With the supply demands high and more men being drafted into war, African Americans soon migrate to the northern states for work. The war effort also f...