Creating Tolerance and World Peace

Throughout history people have immigrated to The Americas for various reasons. After Christopher Columbus first discovered the New World, people began immigrating to the Americas to escape religious oppression and be awarded greater freedoms or just to start a new life. Since that time the reasons for immigration has changed, although some stay the same.

For the first 150 years or so some of those reasons remained the same, although some people began immigrating to America to reunite with loved ones, were brought to the Americas as slaves against their will, others were sent to the Americas as an exile from their countries for “crimes” committed against the throne, some were political refugees who feared for their lives, while other’s reasons remained a desire for a better life.

During the 1800s the reasons behind immigration to the Americas became more about financial gain. Land in the Americas was abundant and was known to be fairly inexpensive. There was plenty of work available where in some other countries work was difficult to find.

In the late 1800s and into the 1900s more differing nationalities began immigrating to the Americas for a variety of reasons. Jews started immigrating to the Americas to be allowed more religious freedom, Russians came to America to escape harassment, Asians and Italians were looking for work. In many countries America was becoming known as the “Land of Opportunity.” It was known that America had plenty of work available and in America you were allowed religious freedom.

Since the early 1900s immigration to America, more specifically the United States, has continued more widely now because there is less chance of harassment, deportation, or prosecution while there are greater chances for financial independence in the United States than in other countries. A lot of immigrants who continue to come to America presently are still escaping oppression and may be fleeing their countries for fear of their lives.