In this text you will read about some of those changes that took place in US history, which is more than 200 years old. You will learn how the growth of industry brought large numbers of men, women, and children to American shores. You will follow the formation of the American nation, well known as a melting pot. In addition, you will see how industrialization caused striking changes in the way Americans lived in cities, on farms, and in towns.

A Nation of Immigrants
The country was primarily populated by Native American tribes. After Columbus discovered America, people came from all over the world. The dream of America as a "land of the second chance" has played an important part in the growth of the United States. Drawn by this dream, immigrants from many lands have come in search of freedom, homes, and jobs.

At first the stream of immigrants to America was small. During the 1600's and 1700's, it took great courage to cross the Atlantic and establish a new home in America. As settlements were started along the Atlantic coast, more people left their homes in Europe for the English colonies in America. Still, the number of newcomers remained small for 200 years after the first English settlements. Most of these early immigrants were farmers, others were merchants, lawyers, laborers, and so on.

Since the thirteen colonies were under British control, most of the immigrants were British, that is, from England, Scotland, or Wales. Then in the 1700's Scotch-Irish and Germans came to the English colonies as well. They pushed their way inland in Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolines, and even beyond the mountains into Kentucky and Tennessee. Many Germans settled in southern Pennsylvania.

We should remember, however, that there were some people who did not come to America as willing immigrants. For a long time Africans were brought to America against their will as slaves.

The Growth of Industry
A growing America offered great opportunities. During the late 1800's and early 1900's, many immigrants came to America because it was easy to get land for fanning. Moving to the west, immigrants established farms on lands that had formerly been forest or endless prairies. Even more important in bringing immigrants to America was the growth of in¬dustry. Many workers were needed to dig the mines, construct buildings and bridges, operate machines, and transport goods from factories to the people who could use or sell them.

Immigrants from Northern and Western Europe
Until the 1890's the newcomers came chiefly from northern and western Europe. An example is Irish immigration from 1820 until 1850. More people came from Ireland than from any other country. For the most part, Irish immigrants settled in America's cities. Many of them took jobs in industry and as police officers and firefighters. Thousands of Irish workers helped to build canals and railroads.

The next great wave of immigrants came from Germany in search of a better living. From 1850 to 1890, Germany led all countries in the number of immigrants that came to America. For the most part, the newcomers from Germany moved to the Midwest. They became farmers and helped to develop new states in that region.

Scandinavian immigration reached its peak in the 1880’s These people were from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Like many of the Germans, the Scandinavians were skilled farmers.
Many immigrants were Jewish and came from Eastern Europe. Because of persecution at various times in various countries, Jews have been coming to America since the 1600's. Some Jews sought religious freedom in America. More than two million Jews, many fleeing from Russia, came to the United States from 1870 to 1900. Some became doctors, lawyers, sci¬entists, or business leaders. Others enriched America's art, literature, music, and theater.

From about 1890 to the 1920's, most immigrants came from E. Southern and Eastern Europe. Newcomers came from Italy, Russia, Poland, Austria-Hungary, and the Balkan countries. They came to seek a better chance for themselves in a country that offered real opportunities. However, there were additional rea¬sons for the great flood of immigrants from that region. By the Elate 1800's many countries in Southern and Eastern Europe were overcrowded, and governments encouraged their people to go to America. In addition, the cheap transportation made it easier for people to come to this country.

Many of the immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe found jobs in mines and factories, while others entered business during the industrial growth of the United States.

Immigrants from Other Regions
Europeans were not the only people to leave their homes and r move to America. Asian immigrants, mostly from China, began coming to this country in the days of the California gold rush. Chinese workers helped build transcontinental railroads in the 1860's. Gradually, most immigrants from Asia settled in large cit¬ies. During the late 1800's, immigrants began arriving in the United States from French-speaking Canada. There were also immigrants from Mexico, the West Indies, and other Latin American coun¬tries. Some took jobs as farm workers and others settled in the cities. Their numbers increased greatly in the early 1900's.

The Problems of Immigrants
Life was difficult for the millions of immigrants who came to the United States. Most of them had little or no knowledge of I English. Newcomers also had to get used to customs that seemed strange to them. It was only natural that many chose to live near other immigrants from their own country. Then they were not only able to speak the language they knew best but also to share customs and memories of their old country.

Most immigrants had little or no money when they arrived in America. Finding work, moreover, was difficult. Often they had no choice but to accept the hardest and lowest-paying jobs.

After World War II, millions of Europeans sought new homes. As a result, the United States admitted more than 400,000 Europeans between 1948 and 1952. Even today America continues to take in more immigrants than any other country in the world.

But it would be very misleading to view America simply as a collection of different groups. That is why describing "the average American" is very difficult. An "average American" might be white, but Americans are not only white. Most Americans are Christians, but America cannot be called a "Christian country." English is the common language by use, but it is not the national language by law. Many Americans speak "a language other than English at home." What is an American, then? This question cannot be answered simply. At best, we can say that an American is someone who meets the legal requirements of citizenship and who considers himself or herself to be an American.

The American people are always on the move, from one part of the country to another, from one city to another, from farm to city, from the city to the suburbs. Seventeen percent of all Americans move to new homes every year, searching for job opportunities or better climate, or for other reasons.

Lilo Zsolnay - USA Country Studies