At last, the steamship dropped its anchor under the shadow of the Statue of Liberty after many exhausting weeks on the turbulent Atlantic Ocean. Nate leaned over the railing of the ship, his stomach churning from the cramped ride, but his eyes searched the horizon. With his last five dollars in his pocket, he watched the busy docks of Ellis Island and dreamed of the promises of wealth and opportunity in the United States.

Nate finds his way to the Lower East Side of New York City, which had a foul smell of sewage and garbage. He manages to find a living space in a small, cramped tenement with three other German immigrants. The room is dark and has no indoor plumbing. Under the flickering light of his candle, Nate spends his extra time teaching himself the complex English language so he could integrate himself into the exciting American society.

The reality of the city sharply contrasted from Nate's dreams. As Nate walked around the cobblestone streets of the city looking for work, he was met with many signs in shop windows that read, "No Germans Need Apply." Discrimination toward immigrants was a constant threat to his advancement. As the last of his money disappeared, Nate finds a job at a steel manufacturing plant hiring laborers just outside the city.

The job at the steel manufacturing factory came with perilous working conditions and required long 12-hour shifts that paid next to nothing. One horrifying afternoon, a fellow employee's arm was severely burned by molten metal. Instead of offering aid, the foreman promptly fired the man on the spot and hired a replacement. This was the moment that Nate realized that his life mattered less to the owners than the steel he helped produce.

Due to the injustice Nate witnessed at the factory, he attends secret meetings in the dimly lit basement of an abandoned building. Talking only in whispers, factory workers speak of the Knights of Labor, a union working to protect workers such as themselves. They dream of an 8-hour workday with higher pay and safe working conditions. They decide that they must come together, as the voice of many is more powerful than one voice along.

The following week, the bell was rung to begin the steel factory shift, but the workers did not enter the building. Instead, they joined a strike and hoisted sighs demanding 8-hour work days and safer working conditions above their heads. Despite interference from factory guards and the fear of losing their jobs, the workers continued to protest. After weeks of ongoing strikes, the factory owners gave in, giving Nate a much needed financial boost.

With his increased wages and hard-earned savings he had accumulated, Nate took his life savings and followed his dream. He opened "Nate's Bakery," a small shop selling German goods. As the popularity of his delicious breads and pastries spread, customers flocked to his shop and business steadily grew.

The success of his bakery allowed Nate to leave behind the overcrowded tenement and move into a humble apartment with the luxury of indoor plumbing. During his time at the bakery, Nate met a lovely woman named Sophia, and the two of them fell in love and were soon married. They started a family and work hard to make ends meet and to provide for their baby son.