Immigration & Migration in the Gilded Age (College Board AP® US History): Exam Questions

4 mins4 questions
11 mark

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus, November 2, 1883

The excerpt most directly reflects immigration from 

  • Ireland 

  • Latin America

  • Southern and Eastern Europe

  • Northern Europe

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21 mark

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus, November 2, 1883

Which of the following groups would most likely support the perspective expressed in the excerpt?

  • The American Protective Association (APA)

  • Settlement house workers and immigrant aid organizations

  • The Know-Nothing Party

  • Labor unions such as the American Federation of Labor (AFL)

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31 mark

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus, November 2, 1883

Which of the following events was most directly influenced by the ideas expressed in the excerpt?

  • Jewish immigration from Russia due to pogroms

  • The dedication of the Statue of Liberty

  • The passage of the Emergency Quota Act 

  • The establishment of Ellis Island as an immigration processing station 

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41 mark

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus, November 2, 1883

Which of the following best describes a significant cultural development in U.S. cities influenced by the immigration trends reflected in the excerpt?

  • The blending of different religious traditions into new, distinctly American faiths

  • The expansion of public education systems to help assimilate immigrant children

  • The decline of traditional folk customs as immigrants adopted American consumer culture

  • The rise of ethnic enclaves where immigrants maintained elements of their native culture

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