Every nation goes through time periods in which great social and economic changes occur. The United States in the late eighteen hundreds, early nineteen hundreds was no exception to this transformation. In the eighteen eighties, America had been a united nation for around fifteen years, and was ready to work together and expand their newfound patriotism. By expanding their territory, the states became found themselves with raw natural resources, which needed to be cultivated and shipped to other nations. In order to prosper, more workers were needed to increase production time; therefore, America became the ideal destination for immigrants looking for work. In some instances, these international newcomers blended and confirmed to the "typical American"; however, there were other situations in which each ethnic group was completely divided. These divisions caused problems for the overall unity of the nation and led to an increase in social diversity.
When the immigration into the United States began in the late nineteenth century, the nation became known as the "melting pot" for people of all countries and cultural diversity. While someone was being prosecuted in their homeland, they were welcome and free in the United States. Between the years 1890 and 1910 almost 12 million immigrants entered the United States from mostly eastern and southern Europe. In smaller numbers, Asians and Mexicans entered the country arriving on the West Coast. This "new immigration" brought people from different areas of the world, differing greatly from what is known as the "old immigration" of people moving from the northern and western parts of Europe, and China. In the American Gilded Age, there were two distinct groups. Those who were overloaded with wealth, and showed it off at any chance they got. The polar opposite were those who toiled day and night to survive in an urban slum. Many Americans as well as immigrants fit into the later category.