This course, part of the Gilder Lehrman Self-Paced Course series, explores the struggles and achievements of major groups who journeyed to a new home in the United States, including Irish, Italian, Jewish, Asian, and Latino Americans. Historian Vincent Cannato, author of the acclaimed American Passage: The History of Ellis Island, leads a consideration of questions involving exclusion and inclusion; patterns of settlement; questions of race, gender, and ethnicity; and the evolution of federal government policy.

COURSE CONTENT

• Five seminar sessions led by Professor Cannato, which can be watched at your convenience

• One virtual tour of Manhattan's Lower East Side and the Tenement Museum led by Professor Cannato

• Optional primary source readings that complement Professor Cannato's lectures

• A certificate of completion for 15 hours of professional development credit

Readings: The optional readings for each seminar session are listed in the “Resources” tab on the course page. Please note that you are not required to read or purchase any print materials. Quizzes are based on the content of the seminar recordings rather than the readings.

Course Access: After your purchase, you may access your course by signing in and visiting your "My Courses" link.

Questions? Please view our FAQ page or email selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org.

Go back to the course list.

LEAD SCHOLAR
Dr. Vincent Cannato
Vincent J. Cannato is an associate professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He received his BA from Williams College and his PhD in history from Columbia University. Professor Cannato teaches courses on New York City history, Boston history, immigration history, and twentieth-century American history. He is the author of American Passage: The History of Ellis Island (HarperCollins, 2009) and The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to Save New York (Basic Books, 2001), and co-editor of Living in the Eighties (Oxford University Press, 2009). Professor Cannato has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New Republic. He is a member of the Advisory Council of Historians and Scholars for the American Institute for History Education. He has also received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.