"Memorial of the Chinese Six Companies to U.S. Grant, President of the United States"

Written in 1876

Reprinted in The Power of Words: Documents in American History, vol. II: 35-37, 1996

In the mid-nineteenth century, industrialization began to spread across the United States at a rapid rate, and factories began searching for large quantities of new workers to help meet the production demands. In the 1840s businesses started recruiting workers from European countries, and by the end of the decade immigrants began to form a significant part of the industrial workforce. Life in the United States was difficult for these newcomers, and they were often the victims of discrimination by their employers. They were paid the lowest wages and were forced to work in jobs that Americans did not want. After a few generations in the country, however, most...