| 1. |
Visit
1871
- 1872 Russia.
(a) Use the timeline on the right hand side. What 1871
event prompted civil unrest and economic instability throughout
Russia?
(b) During what year were Russia’s May Laws enacted?
How did they affect Jewish citizens of Russia? |
| 2. |
Read
an excerpt of a diary of an immigrant traveling
in steerage from Rotterdam, Holland to New York City in
1908. (Scroll down to under the image of the
handwritten page.) The fourth paragraph describes "The
whird [sic] looking young proletarian..."
(a) Based on the paragraph, what do you think that the
author meant by "whird?"
(b) What is a proletarian? |
 |
| 3. |
Experience
medical
inspection at Ellis Island.
(a) What symbol stood for lameness?
(b) What symbol stood for trauchoma?
(c) What is trauchoma? |
| 4. |
Experience
Victoria
Sarfatti Fernandez's mental inspection at Ellis Island.
(a) Where was Victoria emigrating from?
(b) During what year?
(c) Why was she frightened?
(d) What words clue us to Victoria's approximate age at
the time of inspection?
(e) What information clues us to Victoria's age when she
was interviewed about her recollection of the mental inspection? |
| 5. |
Visit
the Rogarshevsky
family kitchen, restored to its 1918 appearance.
(a) From what country did the Rogarshevsky's emigrate?
(b) In what year did they arrive?
(c) In what section of NYC did they live?
(d) Based on what you know about world politics during
the early 1900's, what would be your best guess regarding the Rogarshevsky's
religious beliefs.
(e) Briefly
describe their apartment, which was typical of tenement
apartments
(number of rooms, electricity?, bathroom?) |
| 6. |
Take
a look at the cover and contents of How
the Other Half Lives by Jacob A. Riis.
(a) During what year was this book published?
(b) What was the name of the publishing company?
(c) Based on the sub-title and the contents, briefly
describe the author's purpose.
(d) Go to the Sweaters
of Jewtown chapter. Read paragraph 5.
(e) What is a "sweater?"
(f) How did the workday of a "sweater" compare
to that of a factory worker? |