A Nation of Immigrants Summary

A Nation of Immigrants

• Population Growth: U.S. population tripled between 1850 (23.2 million) and 1900 (76.2 million) due to immigration, with 8.8 million arriving in the last half of the 19th century and 16.2 million during peak years (1901-1910).

• Drivers of Immigration:

  • Push Factors (Negative):

  1. Poverty and political turmoil in Europe.

  2. Overcrowding and joblessness in cities.

  3. Religious persecution, particularly against Jews, in Eastern Europe.

  • Pull Factors (Positive):

  • Economic opportunities in the U.S.

  • Settlement of the West and industrial job availability.

  • Large steamships offering affordable passage.

• Old vs. New Immigrants:

  • Old Immigrants (pre-1880s): Mainly from northern/western Europe (British Isles, Germany, Scandinavia), predominantly Protestants, largely literate, blended into rural society easily.

  • New Immigrants (1890-1914): Predominantly from southern/eastern Europe (Italians, Greeks, Croats, Slovaks, Poles, Russians), many poor/illiterate, unfamiliar with democratic traditions, mostly Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Jewish.

• Settlement Patterns: New immigrants often resided in poor ethnic neighborhoods in cities like New York and Chicago. About 25% were "birds of passage," planning to return home after earning money.