U.S. Immigration Patterns

U.S. Immigration Patterns

Nineteenth-century Immigration from Europe

Recent Immigration from LDCs

1st Peak

2nd Peak

• In 1840s and 1850s, more than 4 million people migrated to the United States during those two decades.
• Immigration jumped from approximately 20,000 per year during the first 50 years of independence to over one-quarter million in the peak immigration years of the 1840s and 1850s.
• More than 90% of all U.S. immigrants during the 1840s and 1850s came from Northern and Western Europe, including two-fifths from Ireland and another one-third from Germany. Germans and Irish wanted to cross the Atlantic because of poor economic conditions.

Immigration to the U.s dropped sharply in the 1930s and 1940s during the Great Deppresion and World War II. But steadily increased during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, then surged during the past quarter-century to historically high levels.

• U.S. immigration declined during the 1890s as a result of the Civil War but began to climb again in the 1870s.
• Immigration reached 2nd peak during the 1880s.
• The Industrial Revolution had diffused throughout the countries, and population was growing rapidly as a result of entering stage 2 of the DTM.
• Germans accounted for one-third and the Irish consumed a large amount.
• This time, the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden came. The migrants migrated for work in the cities or owning farmlands.

Asia

3rd Peak

• During the nineteeth and first half of the twentieth centuries, only 1 million Asians migrated to the U.S, nearly all from China, Turkey, and Japan.
• Durin last quarter of the twentieth century, about 7 million Asians arrived in the U.S.
• Immigration from Asia increased from 40,000 in the 1960s to 150,000 in the 1970s, and 280,000 in the 1980s and 1990s.
• Leading souce of immigrants between the late 1970s and late 1980s.

Latin America

• By the end of the 1890s, migration reached a third peak.
• More than 90% were Europeans.
• Most migrants came from countries that previously had sent few people.
• Nearly 1/4 came from Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary.
• The migrants want jobs and land.
• They wanted to have a better life.

• annual migration from Latin America increased from 60,000 in the 1950s to 130,000 in the 1960s, 180,000 in the 1970s, 350,000 in the 1980s, and 430,000 in the 1990s.
• Mexico passed Germany during the 1980s. More than 8 million. And was the leading source of immigrants.
• The Dominican Republlic has been the second leading source of immigrants from Latin America during the past quarter-century, followed by El Salvador.

Introduction

Colonial Immigration

Conclusion

During the period of migration to the United States, the number of migration rose and fell many times. The source of immigrants came from Asia, Latin America, and the European countries. Throughout the years, through these countries, the United States increased in population rapidly.

Immigration to the American colonies and the newly independent United States came from two sources: Europe and Africa.

Throughout the years of 1607, when Jamestown was founded, to 2000, immigrants came from the European countries, Asia, and from Latin America. These countries were the sources of the United States migrants. And these migrants created the population of the U.S today. Now the U.S. is filled with different cultures and traditions.

Europeans

• Most Europeans were voluntary migrants.
• About 1 million Europeans migrated to the American colonies prior to independence, and another million from the late 1700s until 1840.
• Harsh economic conditions and persecution in Europe blurred the distinction between forced and voluntary migration for many Europeans.
• The United States offered the greatest opportunity for economic success.
• Some immigrants were from Dutch, Swedes, French, Germans, German-swiss, Spanish, and Portuguese.
• 90% of European immigrants to the U.S. prior to 1840 came from Great Britain.

Africans

• Most Africans were forced to migrate to the United States as slaves.
• About 400,000 Africans were shipped as slaves to the 13 colonies that later formed the United States during the 18th century.
• Importing Africans as slaves was mad illegal in 1808, but another 250,000 were brought to the United States during the next half-century.