Context
Studying primary sources to analyze past events and place them in the context of social development provides a deeper and more informed understanding of history. The United States of the late 19th century was a destination for many migrants worldwide, especially from Europe. One of the critical waves preceding the writing of this paper was the persecution of Jews in the Western Russian Empire, accused of plotting the assassination of Tsar Alexander II.
To support the refugees, the U.S. authorities introduced symbolism as one step and placed a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, which had been donated the day before by France. The intensified processes of industrialization and the initial stages of globalization, bringing an influx of new inhabitants into cities, should also be considered. Refugees, rural dwellers, and migrants seeking new opportunities were eager to begin new lives and saw the U.S. as a bastion of freedom and opportunity.
Content
The poem “The New Colossus,” written by Emma Lazarus in 1883, was used as a fundraising effort to help install the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. The symbolic function of such a poem is predominantly supportive and encouraging.
Lazarus writes, “A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame // Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name // Mother of Exiles”. These lines highlight the United States’ status as a country that welcomes and protects refugees from the traumatic events of their past. The poetess writes, “Give me your tired, your poor, /…/ The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. // Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me…” as if to indicate that by coming to the United States, their problems are behind them.
The country is supportive and parentally ready to host them. Not for nothing does the poem’s title refer the reader to one of the world’s wonders, the Colossus of Rhodes, which emphasizes the degree of greatness that the United States bestows on itself in the context of world history.
Meaning
This poem holds particular historical significance as a valuable reflection of its time. In an era of global uncertainties and the preconditions for a future (at the time) mass persecution of Jews, the U.S. became a safe home for refugees. Lazarus appealed not only to the mighty greatness of an America built on the principles of freedom and equality, but also to those who believed in the American Dream and sought a safer and more comfortable life for themselves. The poem helps us understand that, as early as the late 19th century, Americentrism began to emerge as a social and cultural idea. Through this poem, historians can examine the mood of the time, the kind of stronghold the United States positioned itself as, the development of civil society, and why migrants came to America in waves.
Works Cited
“From Europe to the Land of Unlimited Opportunities —Immigration Waves to the USA in the Early 1900s.” YouTube video, 6:51. Posted by wocomoHISTORY. 2022.
Lazarus, Emma. “The New Colossus.” Poetry Foundation. 2023.
Pan, Guang. “History of Jewish Refugees Before the Holocaust.” In A Study of Jewish Refugees in China (1933–1945), 235-42. Singapore: Springer, 2019.