Origins Assignment
U.S. History Family History & Immigration
50 points
Due:
September 8th
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). Bring the answers to class ready to share and then turn in.
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 and then turn in.
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.
