Beyond the Huddled Masses: American Immigration and The Treaty of Versailles

This work uncovers the human history underlying the state actions on immigration. It is a vivid and varied new look at some of the most shaping forces in American history and identity, and offers important new perspective on early twentieth century American-European relations. How did American isolationism after the Treaty of Versailles, accentuated by stringent immigration restrictions predominantly against Asians and Europeans, work to shape American identity? Beyond the Huddled Masses is a vivid look at the connection between the results of the Paris Peace Conference and the Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924. Kristofer Allerfeldt identifies the threads of nativism, anti-Bolshevism, self-determination and fear that ran through America’s participation in the Paris Peace Conference and then manifested themselves openly through the Immigration Acts. He taps into the early twentieth century American psyche to explore the rationalisation for the extreme policies of isolationism that so characterised the inter-war years in the United States.