Immigration, writes Maldwyn Allen Jones, was America's historic raison d'être. Reminding us that the history of immigration to the United States is also the history of emigration from somewhere else, Mr. Jones considers the forces that uprooted emigrants from their homes in different parts of the world and analyzes the social, economic, and psychological adjustments that American life demanded of them—adjustments essentially the same for the Jamestown settlers and for Vietnamese refugees. As well as measuring the impact of America on the lives of the sixty million or so immigrants who have arrived since 1607, he assesses their role in industrialization, the westward movement, labor organization, politics, foreign policy, the growth of American nationalism, and the theory and practice of democracy. In this new edition, Jones brings his history of immigration to the United States up to 1990. His new chapter covers the major changes in immigration patterns caused by changes in legislation, such as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. "It is done with a grasp of regional, chronological, national and racial information, plus that 'feel' for the situation which can come only from the vast resources and a gift for interpretation."—A. T. DeGroot, Christian Century "A scholarly contribution, based on a thorough mastery of the subject."—Carl Wittke, Journal of Southern History
The Chicago History of American Civilization Series
This comprehensive series delves into the pivotal moments and complex themes that have shaped the United States. Each volume offers an in-depth exploration of distinct eras, social movements, and cultural transformations. It serves as essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the American narrative in its full diversity and complexity.



Recommended Reading Order
Part of the Chicago History of American Civilization series, which provides a nuanced and vibrant portrait of the United States from its inception through the twentieth century. číst celé
In one remarkable quarter-century, thirteen quarrelsome colonies were transformed into a nation. Edmund S. Morgan's classic account of the Revolutionary period shows how the challenge of British taxation started the Americans on a search for constitutional principles to protect their freedom and eventually led to the Revolution.Morgan demonstrates that these principles were not abstract doctrines of political theory but grew instead out of the immediate needs and experiences of the colonists. They were held with passionate conviction, and incorporated, finally, into the constitutions of the new American states and of the United States.Though the basic theme of the book and his assessment of what the Revolution achieved remain the same, Morgan has updated the revised edition of The Birth of the Republic (1977) to include some textual and stylistic changes as well as a substantial revision of the Bibliographic Note.