U.S. History Family History & Immigration Assignment
50 points
Due: October 14th
History is not just about “them;” it’s about us. The purpose
of this assignment is two-fold: to come to a better understanding of what has
happened to our own families over time and to see how we fit within the
framework of a growing young nation. Your
heritage helps to make you what you are today; our collective heritage creates
our nation.
Part
One – Family Background
For this assignment, you will research your parents,
grandparents and so on until you find the first member of that line to
immigrate to the United States. Find out
where they immigrated from and see what conditions were like when they left,
comparing them with what the United States when they came here. Once you have found this family member, you
need to answer the following questions to the best of your understanding in a
series of paragraphs. You may not have answers to all of these questions, but
try to cover as much as possible and do so as thoroughly as you can, providing
examples whenever possible to illustrate what you have to say.
1.
What factors influenced their decision
to leave their original home?
2.
What factors influenced their
decision to come to the United States?
3.
What were the conditions in their
country of origin at the time they left?
4.
What was happening in local,
national or world affairs at that time?
5.
What part of the United States did
they originally come to?
6.
Where in the United States has your
family lived since then?
7.
Why did your family finally come to
Utah?
8.
How have attitudes toward the old
country and the U.S. changed from generation to generation? Have you always
been of the same social class? What is it (working class, middle class –
business owners – or aristocracy)? Have your fortunes improved or worsened?
9.
If you still have contact with
relatives in the “old country”, how are your family’s lives different than the
family members there?
10.
Are you glad that your family moved
here? Why or why not?
To locate this information you will need to ask family
members and consult written material and other documents, like photographs
(primary sources and, possibly, secondary sources)
Part
Two – Family Story
Find a story about this person’s life. It can be about a single event of their life
or it can be a brief life history of the person. Bring this to class to share.
Note: If this assignment is impossible due to circumstances
beyond your control (laziness or unwillingness to dig through your family’s
history is not a good excuse), please come talk to me and we can work out an
alternate assignment.
