Answer: The nature of immigration to America changed over time as the country's population and economy changed. In the early years of America, most of the immigrants were people seeking a better life, often escaping religious or political persecution. These immigrants often had a good relationship with the people already living in America, as they shared a common bond in their desire to build a better life in a new country.
As the country's economy grew and industrialization increased, the focus of immigration shifted from people seeking a better life to those seeking economic opportunity. This influx of new immigrants increased competition for jobs and resources, resulting in a strained relationship between the new immigrants and those already in America. The distrust between the two groups was further exacerbated by the rise of nativism, which was the belief that native-born Americans were superior to immigrants. This led to racial tensions and eventually to the passage of restrictive immigration laws in the early twentieth century.