Question

1. what prompted many people in southern italy to immigrate to the u.s. between 1880 and 1920?

religious persecution at home
an invasion of italy
natural disasters
disintegration of the italian nation state

Explanation:

To determine the reason for Southern Italians immigrating to the U.S. between 1880 - 1920, we analyze each option:

• "Religious persecution at home": Italy was predominantly Catholic, and there was no major religious persecution driving emigration.
• "An invasion of Italy": Italy was not invaded during this period.
• "Natural disasters": Southern Italy faced natural disasters (like earthquakes, volcanic activity, and agricultural hardships from natural causes) that disrupted livelihoods, pushing people to immigrate.
• "Disintegration of the Italian nation state": Italy was unified by 1861 and the nation - state was stable during this period.

Answer:

C. natural disasters