Christa Wiscombe

HIST 1700

Chapter 7: Civil Rights & Immigration

Prompt 2

1. What problems did Josiah Strong associate with immigrants? Are these problems still

relevant today?

2. How do the authors differ in their assessment of immigrant life in America?

Josiah Strong had strong beliefs that Christians and the government should be mixed to

create a better life in America. This is not true because the Government and God should never

intermix. People can become lost in old doctrine and not work on true government issues in the

works. Jacob A. Riis had other beliefs. His beliefs were to show people what life was really like.

Riis was a newspaper reporter, social reformer, and photographer. One of his books was called

“How the Other Half Lives (1890).” Both men had different views on the government and what

is right and wrong.

Josiah Strong was from Illinois he was trained in religion at Theological Seminary at Western

Reserve College. Once done he moved and began to work at a Congregational church. Strong

believed that God and country were one. This was a problem and it still is a problem with our

government. Government and religious beliefs need to be separated Strong believed that the

rush of immigrants to America caused significant problems in the U.S. Strong’s main beliefs

were that Christens defined as sin and the large amount that existed were in U.S cities. He
thought that America could become more powerful than other countries such as Britain if

Christian practices were used more in government. Strong thought that Anglo-Saxon race what

number one in being the most advanced. All in all, Strong had racist beliefs that white Christians

were the strongest in the nation. He's beliefs are wrong and shouldn't be practiced. As humans,

we are all equal and people have the free right to practice or not practice religions of their

choices. Government and God shouldn’t be mixed.

Jacob A. Riis is from Denmark. Riis was a writer social reformer, and a photographer. The

book he wrote, “How the Other Half Lives” was known to be shocking in the 1890s. He wrote

about the slum conditions in New York City. His writing style is what helped people see thought

his eyes on what he believed needed to change because the real world is dark and can send a

chill to a person's heart.

These men both believed very different things. There are still beliefs to this day that are still

being fought by people. Strong believed that religion should be involved with the government.

There are still people today that wish that and may try and push religion on people. This is

something that needs to stop because everyone has different beliefs. There is no right religion

it just depends on the person. Jacob Riis wanted to show the world the true U.S. and shocked

people into helping each other. This is still a thing people use in our now day. People shock

other people into helping people in need of help. In conclusion, history tends to always repeat

itself.

Refences:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/our-country-its-possible-future-and-its-present-crisis-by-

josiah-strong.html

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacob-Riis