Prior to 1840, 90% of immigrants to the United States were either British or African. Since then, there have been two, big waves of immigrants to the United States.

The first wave of U.S. immigration, from 1840 to 1930, was overwhelmingly characterized by migrants from Europe. Like all migrants, a combination of push and pull factors were influential in the risky decision to migrate across the Atlantic Ocean in a boat.

As the techniques and outcomes of the Second Agricultural Revolution started to diffuse throughout Europe, populations grew very quickly, but, as agricultural-related jobs in rural areas became less available, many moved to cities looking for industrial jobs that were highly competitive and in short supply. The combination of rapid population growth, overpopulation in cities, and lack of economic activity were all key push factors. Other push factors include religious persecution, droughts, and famines.

Meanwhile, an abundance of undeveloped rural land, increasing economic opportunity, and freedom to practice a religion or maintain a culture were key pull factors of immigration to the United States. For the most part, many of the same push and pull factors of those immigrating to the United States in the 1840s are the same for today’s immigrants.

As mentioned above, the first wave of immigration to the United States from 1840 to 1930s was predominately by Europeans. Initially, this first wave was mostly migrants from Western and Northern Europe (Ireland, Germany, Norway, Sweden). By 1910, immigrants to the United States transitioned to be mostly from Southern and Eastern Europe (Italy, Russia, Poland). In the video that follows, I provide more analysis of this first wave.

As mentioned before, economics are the main influencer of migration. Therefore, it makes sense that immigration to the United States came to a sudden stop in the 1930s as a result of the Great Depression, a sustained, 10-year economic recession. Why would you migrate to a country with no jobs or economic opportunity?

Soon after the Great Depression was World War II, which further hampered immigration as the government strictly enforced immigration for national security reasons. Once the war was completed, however, everything changed as the success of the United States and the Allied Forces led to an economic boom in the United States. Of course, as the economy quickly improved, the numbers of immigrants rapidly increased.

Starting in the late 1940s and 1950s, U.S. immigrants were increasingly from Asia and Latin America, replacing Europe as the main source areas of migrants. The following video further explains this second wave of U.S. immigration.

Very quickly, the following video discusses the impact international migration has had and will continue to have on overall population numbers in the United States.