Political Campaigns and the Use of Immigration

Here is some history and information that is going to provide background on early immigration debates. The first debate was between the British and the colonies because immigration was one of the major factors for their desire of independence. In British parliament in 1826, were warned by the committee that immigrants would “deluge Great Britain with poverty and wretchedness, and gradually but certainly …equalize the state of the English and Irish peasantry” (Jones 102). This view of immigration in the British parliament would also close America’s door to immigration. All the rules under British parliament also pertained to the American colonies, and the colonies wanted to have immigrants for the growth of the United States. As time passed the idea of having immigrants in the United States has changed.
One of the earliest political parties to think of using the immigrants in a way to achieve the most votes in their campaign for the presidency was Native American Party. The Native American Party was formed by immigrants or White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, and their ideas help them to elect candidates into the government to restrict immigration (Roleff 27). With the information provided above we can find out that immigration has been use in many ways to help the political campaigns throughout our history in the United States.

In the next blog there will be interesting information on how politicians use immigration to their benefit.

References:

Roleff, Tamara L. Immigration. Opposing Viewpoints Series. Michigan: Greenhaven Press, 2004.

Jones, Maldwyn Allen. American Immigration. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1960.