(6.8 & 6.9) Immigration & Migration Gallerwalk Mini-DBQ

Prompt - To what extent did American responses to immigration during the Gilded Age reflect a contradiction between national ideals and social realities?

Assignment Overview

You will write a short historical argument using evidence from the Immigration & Migration Gallery Walk. This assignment focuses on AP-level historical skills, not summary.

What Your Response Must Include

Your response must demonstrate clear historical reasoning and analysis.

• A clear thesis that answers the prompt and addresses extent
• At least 3 specific pieces of evidence from the gallery walk
  • Must include:
    • At least 1 image (photo, political cartoon, or visual)
    • At least 1 policy, law, or organized response (Examples: Chinese Exclusion Act, nativism, settlement houses)
• Analysis that explains:
  • American ideals (opportunity, freedom, welcome)
  • Immigrant realities (exclusion, discrimination, living conditions)
• Explanation of how your evidence supports your argument
• Formal academic tone and APUSH vocabulary

Structure

BOX 1 - Paragraph 1: Thesis + historical context (What Americans claimed to believe)

BOX 2 - Paragraph 2: Evidence showing contradiction (What immigrants actually experienced)

BOX 3 - Paragraph 3: Explanation (Why this contradiction existed or why it mattered)

Guidelines

• Write in complete sentences
• No bullet points
• No outside research is required
• All evidence must come from the gallery walk materials
• This is an individual, graded summative assignment

Prompt: To what extent did American responses to immigration during the Gilded Age reflect a contradiction between national ideals and social realities?

Paragraph 1: Thesis + historical context (What Americans claimed to believe)

Paragraph 2: Evidence showing contradiction (What immigrants actually experienced)

Paragraph 3: Explanation (Why this contradiction existed or why it mattered)