Immigration to the United
States
GOAL #7
Millions of
immigrants
came to the U.S.
before the Civil
War seeking a
better life
I. What is immigration?
Immigration- movement of people from
one country to another to make a new
home.
• Starting in the 1830’s - millions of
people from Europe came to America
• Emigrants - people who leave a
country
• Immigrants - people who settle in a
new country
Why did they choose the U.S.?
The U.S. is known as a
“melting pot” accepting people from
many countries
How did they get here?
Steerage, the cheapest deck on the ship.
The conditions were awful. People were jammed together in
filthy conditions for up to a month.
Many
immigrants
came as whole
families. Others
came one at a
time and then
sent for other
family members
as they could
afford it.
Where did they come from?
• Almost 10.2 million immigrants came to the United
States mostly N and W European countries
II. Why did they come?
A. Push Factors
• A. Population growth - Europe’s population
boomed-land became overcrowded.
• B. Agricultural changes - European cities grew.
Landowners forced renters (who lived on small
plots) off their land so they could farm it & sell
food to city people.
More Push Factors
• C. Crop failures - Small farmers chose to start over in
America when they couldn’t pay their debts. Hunger, also
caused people to emigrate.
• D. Industrial Revolution - Goods produced in factories
became cheaper than those made by artisans, who were
now out of work.
• E. Religious and Political Turmoil - To escape religious
persecution, Quakers fled Norway and Jews left Germany.
Many Germans came to America after a failed revolution.
Main Countries
Ireland - 2.8 million
Settled west of the Appalachian Mtns. -wanted to be
farmers
Irish Potato Famine
• In 1845,a disease attacked Ireland’s main
food crop, the potato
• Caused a severe food shortage – famine.
Killed 1 million people
• By 1854, between 1.5 and 2 million Irish
had fled their homeland
Germany - 3.0 million
German immigrants came to farm the abundant
land . They began farming in Ohio, Missouri
River Valleys and the Great Lakes region.
Other Main Sources of Immigration
England – 1.9 Million
*Then people from Eastern and southern European
immigrants began arriving
Italy - Italians brought stone-masonry skills
Sweden – Swedes brought carpentry & furniture making
skills
B. Pull Factors
• A. Freedom - Freedom to practice the religion
he/she prefers
• B. Economic opportunity - Immigrants sought a
place where have a better future.
• C. Abundant land – The Louisiana Purchase
gave the United States millions of acres of land.
Pull Factors
•Railroad
Companies were
given large land
grants by U.S. gov.
• Wanted people to
settle out west so
that they could carry
goods & people
across the country
($$$)
III. Consequences of
Immigration
• Immigrants flocked to American cities
because that is where the work was
• Cities became overcrowded and filthy
because America was not ready for the
influx of new people
• Great for business – lots of cheap labor kept wages low
Some Americans Oppose
Immigration
• Immigrants faced prejudice - a negative opinion
not based on facts.
• Native-born Americans called themselves
nativists. They thought immigrants could not
learn American ways. Some nativists refused to
hire immigrants and put up signs like “No Irish
need apply.”
• Formed “Know Nothing” political party