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Throughout the history of our country, the United States of America has often been referred to as the “land of opportunity.” Though in some situations this may have been the case, for most Americans, especially in the nineteenth century, every day life was an ongoing struggle. Due to several factors, the US had a hard time living up to the expectations of its citizens. The citizens who faced the greatest hardships in this country were immigrants from around the world. Immigrants expected to come to America and find streets paved with gold. They thought that all they would have to do in order to achieve their fortune was chip a piece of gold off the street. In reality, they found obstacles not so dissimilar to those from which they were seeking asylum. Often they could not find employment as easily as the American born citizens. Those who did find work were forced to work long days at a minimal salary. In the book America Firsthand