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Difficulty: HardImmigration, Urbanization, and Social Culture

“The character of the immigration to the United States has changed radically... The older immigration was composed of people of kindred races... who entered at once into our political and social life... The new immigration is from Southern and Eastern Europe. These people are not only illiterate, but they are accustomed to low standards of living and are unable to appreciate or participate in our free institutions... If we care for the welfare of our laboring classes, we must protect them from the competition of this cheap labor.”

— Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, speech to the United States Senate, 1896

Which of the following groups during the late nineteenth century would have been most likely to support the arguments expressed in the excerpt?

  1. A
    Political machine bosses looking to expand their municipal voting coalitions
  2. B
    Industrial capitalists attempting to secure a steady supply of low-wage factory workers
  3. Leaders of organized labor unions seeking to protect wage rates from competitionAnswer
  4. D
    Settlement house reformers working to assimilate new arrivals into urban neighborhoods

Answer

Leaders of organized labor unions seeking to protect wage rates from competition
The correct answer is correct because organized labor unions, such as the American Federation of Labor, often supported immigration restrictions (like literacy tests) to prevent the competition of cheap, unskilled labor from Southern and Eastern Europe, which they believed depressed wages for domestic workers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document
The excerpt is from a speech by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge in 1896, arguing that the 'new' immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe consists of illiterate individuals with low standards of living who pose a threat to the wages and welfare of domestic American workers.
Understanding the core argument and perspective of the speaker is necessary to determine which historical group would align with their goals.
2
Evaluate the interests of each group listed in the options
Industrial capitalists wanted cheap labor and opposed restriction. Political machines wanted new voters and opposed restriction. Settlement house workers wanted to help immigrants assimilate and did not advocate for exclusion. Organized labor unions wanted to restrict immigration to protect wages and prevent competition.
Comparing the goals of each group with the arguments in the speech helps identify the overlapping interests.
3
Synthesize the findings to identify the correct match
Organized labor leaders (such as those in the American Federation of Labor) would support the call to protect the laboring classes from the competition of cheap immigrant labor.
This directly matches the restrictionist sentiment expressed in the speech.

Key Concept

Nativism and labor debates during the Gilded Age
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Topics

Immigration, Urbanization, and Social Culture

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