By the 19th century it would be hard to argue that America itself did not have an identity of its own. By then, most native born citizens identified as being Americans instead of their ancestors original country. They saw new immigrants as outsiders who were encroaching on American Culture and taking jobs from native Americans. Because of this, it made finding success hard for immigrants who lived on the East Coast. Many of these immigrants stayed within the cities, merging with American Society over the course of a couple of generation. This process was a difficult one, and the immigrants faced much discrimination. For these immigrants, and subjugated minorities such as African Americans, the frontier offered a place relatively free from persecution. Although difficult and possibly fatal, there was much more opportunity to be had in the West. Most of them traveled westward in hopes of financial gain, but there were some exceptions to this rule. Groups such as the Mormons traveled westward for religious reasons, similar to the Mormons. Whether these migrants traveled west for wealth or something else, they still achieved lasting cultural significance. The cultural impact of foreign immigrants can be seen in states such as Iowa and Utah. They are just two of many examples of the frontier allowing foreign cultures to merge with whole of American
By the 19th century it would be hard to argue that America itself did not have an identity of its own. By then, most native born citizens identified as being Americans instead of their ancestors original country. They saw new immigrants as outsiders who were encroaching on American Culture and taking jobs from native Americans. Because of this, it made finding success hard for immigrants who lived on the East Coast. Many of these immigrants stayed within the cities, merging with American Society over the course of a couple of generation. This process was a difficult one, and the immigrants faced much discrimination. For these immigrants, and subjugated minorities such as African Americans, the frontier offered a place relatively free from persecution. Although difficult and possibly fatal, there was much more opportunity to be had in the West. Most of them traveled westward in hopes of financial gain, but there were some exceptions to this rule. Groups such as the Mormons traveled westward for religious reasons, similar to the Mormons. Whether these migrants traveled west for wealth or something else, they still achieved lasting cultural significance. The cultural impact of foreign immigrants can be seen in states such as Iowa and Utah. They are just two of many examples of the frontier allowing foreign cultures to merge with whole of American