“America means opportunity, freedom, power.” These powerfully true words, spoken by the philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, illustrate the symbolic meaning that America had come to have in the eyes of desperate immigrants. During the Industrial Revolution, the booming American economy and external foreign events helped drive immigrants to America, a fabled land of freedom and power. This large influx of immigrants was instrumental in shaping the very country we know today. Much of the immigration was directed through the famous Ellis Island, known as America's Gateway, or the Golden Gate. The co-dependency between the Industrial Revolution and immigration through Ellis Island can be illustrated in a number of examples. The industrialization of North America paved the way for a legion of immigrants, although work was sometimes difficult to find. Of course, during the Industrial Revolution the main field of work would have been some form of industry, such as factory work or mining. Due to the unwelcome attitude of many nationalities, work was rarely stable for them and could involve humiliating forced labor (Jango-Cohen 35). In many jobs, conditions were poor at best and low wages were paid. To support this type of economy, a large, not necessarily qualified, workforce was needed. As immigrants began to flow into the country, New York's construction agencies were tasked with building more homes and workplaces to keep up with the influx of new immigrants ("Ellis Island"). The additional work capacity of new immigrants has increased production, allowing for the arrival of more immigrants, forming a cycle of economic growth that displays virtuous circularity. The impact and effects of Northern... middle of paper ......uction, a thriving American economy as well as dreams of escaping famine and oppression brought immigrants to America. In the eyes of a dying family waiting every day to escape the pangs of hunger, America was a better life and an almost unattainable goal. For families who persevered, a new life may have awaited them; but for others, America may have only had poverty and hard work. Interestingly, this is what America's industrialized dream allowed: chance; not a guarantee nor even an opportunity in the strict sense; just one possibility. Through the industrial revolutions, more jobs were created; with the addition of more jobs, hopeful foreigners could immigrate. With the presence of multiple and well-defined cultural groups, America began to diversify, continuing its expansion and opening the way for more people who only had a dream in exchange for an opportunity.