German Immigration In The 1800s

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The US experienced massive immigration from Europe in the 1800s, which saw millions of people across the Atlantic to the New World. These people came from all corners of Europe including Ireland, Germany, Italy, Norway, and other scores of other nations and provinces. The people came as young men and women in search of jobs, others as families fleeing religious persecution and others as political radicals who were fleeing from the police. In addition, others came as farmers in search of land and a new start for that matter, and as paupers hardly capable of affording the rites of passage. This was the first wave of immigrants that shaped the US in considerable ways. This migration started in the 1820s, and during this time, the US was not …show more content…

For that matter, they were more skilled and educated than the other immigrants, and they carried along their money and other resources to enable them secure a comfortable living in the US. The first immigrants arrived earlier in the 1800s where they settled in farmlands and rapidly growing cities of the Midwest. The first Germans arrived in the Pennsylvania colony in 1683, but German immigration began in force after 1830s. The primary cause of German migration was the economic distress they faced while in their home country Germany. This economic distress emanated from the rising populations as well as social and economic troubles that were facing the initial stages of agricultural commercialization, urban area development and industrial revolution. This saw Germans make more than a quarter of all immigrants that were arriving in the US between the period of 1830s and 1880s. Moreover, German immigration into America was also due to political subjugation of liberal engagements that had seen German states participate fully after 1819, but more significantly, than any other was the abortive revolutions of 1848 that had seen most Germans flee from their countries. Most of those who fled their countries because of these repressions comprised young students, teachers and other intellectuals who would later on give German communities that lived in …show more content…

This led to scarce resources, and seeing opportunity in North America to run away from famine, job scarcity, government and social constraints, the US provided a fertile land for Europeans to land. During this time, North America provided a satisfying condition for the occurrence of the transatlantic migration. By 1815, peace had returned to the Atlantic region that aided the migration that would last up to 1914 uninterrupted. Moreover, there were pull factors for these Europeans to want to settle in the US during that time. The US had unlimited freedom where everyone had the freedom to practice anything that he desired. This was ripe for most Europeans especially Norwegians who were under domination that limited their freedom hence, economic developments. What is more, to many Europeans, the US provided numerous economic opportunities for them, and because most of them especially Germans were skilled and educated, yet they could not find jobs, and were going through religious and political upheavals made the US the most definite place to be that would allow them a decent living. On the other hand, of all the reasons that could make Europeans come to the US, and held the most pulling force among the Europeans was the plentiful of land in the US. The Europe continent was facing scarcity of resources because of