Why Is America Called The Melting Pot

America is called the “Melting Pot” because of the diversity of the American culture. The migration and immigration of different cultures and people created America’s identity and its nickname of the “Melting Pot”. The American identity began developing in the 1600’s with the construction of colonial America. Throughout the 1800’s, America’s identity was developed by thousands of immigrants who entered America and the migration of people within America. Between the 19th and 20th century, and even in modern times, America’s culture and identity is developed by the movement of Americans and immigrants. The migration of people has helped create an American identity. During three periods of history, significant changes happened that helped frame
In 1607, Jamestown was founded by British colonists eager to start a new life in a foreign land. Although the colonists struggled with diseases and famine, they eventually they made profit in tobacco. This new protestant based colony developed into a separate culture from the British with different ideas about their religion and way of government. This was the first sign of a growing American identity through migrating people. As the news of American freedom and prosperity spread, more colonists came. Soon another British colony was formed, Plymouth Bay. This new colony consisted of Pilgrims who came to America for religious freedom and separation from the British. The Plymouth Bay Colony set in motion the idea of religious freedom. The Puritans were discriminated in Britain, so they moved to America where they could practice their own religion. This idea of religious freedom has been carried through the centuries of American development. Still today, America is viewed as a religiously tolerant country. Although some immigrants came to America to improve their lives, others were forced to. In the 1700’s, slavery became a prominent part of the society. African Americans were transported through the Middle Passage to America and then enslaved. Once African Americans were sold into slavery, they were no longer treated as people, but as animals. This idea of Chattel Slavery
In the 1900’s African Americans sought a better life. This idea provoked the Great Migration. The Great Migration was the movement of African Americans out of Southern America to the North. 6 million African Americans moved from the racial South to the North where they escaped discrimination and were offered jobs. In America today people move around the country to create a successful life for themselves. This is exactly what African Americans did in the 1900’s. As the American culture grew, more ideas were developed. A new belief was Nativism. Nativism was a belief that native-born, white Americans were superior to immigrants. Because of Nativism, America put quotas or restrictions on the amount of immigrants who could enter. In present day America we still have quotas, but now they are based on jobs, the level of education, and family, not race. As more immigrants flooded American ports, the government had to create immigration laws. Although our immigration system has improved over the past 50 years, it is still not perfect. That's why the government started immigration reforms. An immigration reform is a set of proposals to improve and fix the American immigration system. The system creates laws that will allow foreigners to enter America legally. The immigrants who enter America make it a very diverse country with many different cultures that