Essential Question

How did environmental and economic factors contribute to patterns of migration between 1750 and 1900?

Long-distance migration expanded greatly during this time period. The reasons in some ways were simple: the world population grew and transportation methods advanced. More people, bigger 🛳 = more migration. Most migrants were moving within or from Europe and Asia and many were laborers.

Economic Opportunities

Many people migrated in search of better economic opportunities, such as higher wages or access to land. For example, many people migrated to the United States during this period in search of work or the opportunity to start their own farms.

Political Instability

Political instability or persecution in one's home country could also drive people to migrate. For example, during this period, many European Jews migrated to the United States to escape persecution in Eastern Europe.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters, such as droughts, famines, and earthquakes, could also lead to migration.

War and Conflict

War and conflict could also displace people and lead them to migrate. For example, during this period, many people in Europe and Asia migrated to the United States to escape the violence and turmoil of World War I and World War II.

Family and Reunification

Some people migrated to be reunited with family members who had already migrated to another country.

Improved Transportation and Urbanization

Industrialization made longer distance travel more affordable via ships and railroads. Some Italian migrants crossed the Atlantic twice a year from southern Europe to Argentina and back, working harvests in the northern and southern hemispheres. Laborers from Japan crossed the Pacific and worked in sugarcane fields in Hawai’i. Merchants moved, too, such as Lebanese business owners in the Americas.

Global urbanization was a significant factor in the movement of people during the period of 1750-1900. Millions of people, especially from rural areas, moved to cities in search of employment and better economic opportunities.

In Ireland, for example, many rural migrants moved to cities in the United Kingdom, such as London and Manchester, in search of work in the industrial economy. This movement was driven by a number of factors, including population growth, economic changes, and the displacement of people from their land due to the enclosure of common lands and the expansion of commercial agriculture.

Similarly, many people also migrated across the Atlantic to cities like Boston, Buenos Aires and New York in search of better economic opportunities. This migration was driven by a number of factors such as poverty, unemployment, and political unrest in their home countries. These immigrants were often seeking work in the growing industrial economies of their new countries.

It's worth mentioning that these migrations were not always voluntary, many people were forced to migrate due to war, persecution, and famine. The migration process was often challenging and risky, and many immigrants faced discrimination, poverty, and other forms of hardship upon arrival.

Migration Through Labor-Systems

Slavery: The African Slave trade was abolished in most countries during the 19th century, but slavery continued. European powers captured and enslaved millions of Africans to work on their colonies in the Americas. The slave trade involved the forced transportation of enslaved Africans from Africa to the Americas and was a key component of the exploitation of African labor and resources.

The growth of the slave trade and the need for labor in the Americas fueled migrations and population growth in these regions. The enslavement of Africans had devastating effects on African societies and led to the loss of life, culture, and economic prosperity.

Indentured Servitude: another form of labor migration that contributed to population movement between 1750 and 1900. In this system, individuals signed a contract agreeing to work for a specified period of time, usually four to seven years, in exchange for passage to the Americas.

Many Europeans, particularly from Ireland and India, became indentured servants as a means of escaping poverty and seeking better economic opportunities. The system of indentured servitude was used to fill labor shortages in the Americas, particularly in the growing colonial economies of North America and the Caribbean.

Contract Laborers: During this time, many Asian workers, including those from China, Japan, and the Philippines, were brought to the Americas as contract laborers to work in agriculture, mining, and other industries. These workers were often promised wages and living conditions that were not honored, and were subjected to exploitation and discrimination.

Many of these workers were unable to return to their home countries due to financial and legal constraints, leading to the formation of permanent Asian communities in the Americas. Asian contract labor was a significant factor in the migration of people from Asia to the Americas during this period and played a role in shaping the demographics and economies of these regions.

Penal Colonies: European powers established penal colonies in their overseas territories as a means of dealing with their criminal populations. Convicted criminals were sent to these colonies to serve out their sentences and provide labor to support the colonial economy.

Examples of penal colonies include Australia's first settlement at Port Jackson in 1788, which was established as a penal colony for British convicts, and French Guiana, which was used as a penal colony from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. Penal colonies played a significant role in the migration of people from Europe to their overseas territories during this period, particularly in the Americas and Australia.

Migrations from Unrest and Disaster

India: Poverty in India was a major factor in the migration of people between 1750 and 1900. During this time, India was undergoing major economic and social changes, and many people were struggling to make ends meet. The lack of economic opportunities, combined with high levels of poverty, led many Indians to seek better lives elsewhere. Some Indians migrated within the country in search of work, while others went overseas, particularly to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa.

For example, Indian laborers were recruited to work on the construction of the Suez Canal in the mid-19th century, and many went to work in plantations and mines in Southeast Asia. Poverty in India was a major factor in the migration of people from India during this period and helped shape the demographics and economies of many countries around the world.

China: Poverty and political turmoil in China were significant drivers of migration between 1750 and 1900. The country was facing widespread economic difficulties and widespread unrest, which made it difficult for many Chinese to sustain themselves and their families. This included the Opium Wars, the Taiping Rebellion, and massive environmental disasters.

In response, a significant number of Chinese citizens sought better lives elsewhere, including:

• Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand to work in mines and on plantations.

• United States, Canada, and Brazil to work on railroads and in agriculture.

• Australia to work on gold mines and in agriculture.

• South Africa to work in the mines.

• New Zealand to work on farms and in the fishing industry.

These migrations were driven by the hope of finding better work opportunities and a more stable living environment. The Chinese diaspora played an important role in shaping the demographics and economies of many countries around the world during this time period.

Ireland: One of the most well-known examples of this migration was the Great Famine, or the Irish Potato Famine, of the mid-19th century, during which large numbers of Irish people left the country in search of food and work. Many Irish immigrants went to countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, where they were able to find work in agriculture and industry.