Goodfriend, Joyce D. "Before the Melting Pot": Review

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews Joyce D. Goodfriend's book, "Before the Melting Pot", and explains that the book highlights the fact that the story of American diversity and immigration did not begin in the 19th century but has its roots early on, before America even officially became 'America'. The paper discusses how Goodfriend's book is a potent reminder that America is a nation founded by immigrants and notes that the book pays particular attention to New York's Dutch population. The writer also notes what she believes to be one of the most interesting aspects of the book: Goodfriend's discussion of the importance of African-Americans in the development of the young New York City.

From the Paper:

"Goodfriend's analysis is a potent reminder of the fact that America is a nation founded by immigrants. Early New York City was made up of a heterogeneous blend of populations that came to the land's borders for different reasons. New York did not suddenly transform itself into a city divided into little Italy, of Eastern European Jewish and Chinese neighborhoods, rather it began as a blend of ethnicities, and even after the English government came to dominate its political life, the groups that had lived there before the English still kept their cultures alive. New York City had an unusually diverse ethnic makeup, with substantial numbers of Dutch, English, Scottish, Irish, French, German, and Jewish immigrants, as well as African-Americans who came as forced immigrants in the form of slaves."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Goodfriend, Joyce D. Before the Melting Pot: Society and Culture in Colonial New York City, 1664-1730. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994.

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