From its colonial beginnings, the US has had a highly diverse society, originating from around the globe.  Changing immigrant populations have continually challenged the country and fed intense debate & political efforts to restrict arrivals. Use the links to explore immigration impacts, migrants’ experiences, American nativism & changing laws.  Own Your History®  (OYH) MULTIMEDIA  ANTHOLOGYOYH anthologies collect a range of materials for exploring OYH topics. They parallel and supplement the OYH school modules which have been published as OER Resources. Groups of all ages can explore & discuss these rich and varied collections for sharing reflections on aspects of U.S. history and deepening historical knowledge. They are available  in the OER Commons, as well as through the OYH website, https://www.ownyourhistory.us/multimediaresources.

From its colonial beginnings, the US has had a highly diverse society, originating from around the globe.  Changing immigrant populations have continually challenged the country and fed intense debate & political efforts to restrict arrivals. Use the links to explore immigration impacts, migrants’ experiences, American nativism & changing laws. 

A mildly jingoistic satire voicing American suspicions of foreign designs on California after the discovery of gold there in 1848. The bay and coastline of San Francisco are shown, menaced by foreign invaders who appear offshore. Closest is Queen Victoria of England, who rides a bull and carries a spade. She sings (to the tune of "Oh, Suzannah!&1), "Oh, "Dear Albert" [i.e., Prince Albert, her husband] dont' you cry for me, / I'm 'off' for California with my shovel on my knee." Next follows Czar Nicholas I of Russia, as a bear, who recites, "As something is "Bruin" I'll put in my "paw /" While the Nations around me are making a "Jaw."" Overhead flies a cock with the head of Louis-Napoleon, president of France. He calls: "As "you "have "Gold" for all Creation / 'Den please give some to "La Grand Nation" / I've just become "de President" / And back I "shall" not like to "went." Louis Napoleon was elected in December 1848. Farther up the coast, Spain's Queen Isabella II wades neck-deep in water toward shore. A squadron of American cutters sails into the harbor behind her, evidently bent on its defense. On land is an encampment of American troops with two rows of tents. A sentry, watching over casks and crates of gold, warns, "Keep out of "these Dig&1gins." The precious stores surround a flagpole with a large American flag. To the left of the encampment is a row of cannon over which Gen. Zachary Taylor, as an eagle, watches. Taylor threatens, "Retreat you poor D---ls! nor a squabble engender. For our Gold unto you we will "never surrender. Right about face!" Double quick to the rear! And back to your keepers all hands of you steer." On a rocky outcropping or jetty at lower left is President James K. Polk, as a snake. He also warns (somewhat more meekly than Taylor): "I pray thee tread not on our corns, /But slope "Dear Vic;" haul in your "horns" / And tell the Powers that lag behind, / Seek other lands "thier Gold to find"; / Or by the "Lord" we'll make a rattle, / To take good care of all such "Cattle. Polk's role of authority here suggests that the print dates from his administration, which ended with the inauguration of Zachary Taylor on March 5, 1849. It could not have appeared earlier, however, than December 1848, when French President Louis Napoleon (a prominent figure here) was elected. The California Gold Rush began in the summer of 1848.|December 1848 or early 1849. Drawn by S. Lee Perkins?|Lith & pubd by Henry Serrell & S. Lee Perkins 75 Nassau St N.Y.|Title appears as it is written on the item.|Maurice & Cooper, p. 149, 152-153.|Murrell, p. 175, 179.|Weitenkampf, p. 98.|Forms part of: American cartoon print filing series (Library of Congress)|Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1849-1.

 U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Define nativism and analyze the ways in which it affected the politics and society of the 1920sDescribe the conflict between urban Americans and rural fundamentalistsExplain the issues in question in the Scopes trial

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Temperance Movement fought to reduce consumption of alcohol. The movement began in the 1820s, rooted in Protestant churches, led by clergy and prominent laymen, and powered by women volunteers. More women were involved in temperance than any other cause in US history up to that point. Women’s involvement seemed natural since the movement targeted men’s alcohol abuse and how it harmed women and children. At first, the Temperance Movement sought to moderate drinking, then to promote resisting the temptation to drink. Later, the goal became outright prohibition of alcohol sales. This shift coincided with a large wave of immigrants from Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe, and some temperance advocates echoed the concerns of nativists as they objected to immigrants’ “wet” cultures and drinking customs. In addition, temperance advocates regarded urban saloons as hosts to a range of immoral behaviors beyond drunkenness, such as gambling, adultery, prostitution, profanity, and corruption.