THE NATIVE AND FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION. 761 



199 in 1890, but the percentage in relation to the total population 

 did not increase. In fact, in some of the Western States, where the 

 percentage of foreign-born population of the total population in 

 1880 was very high, it is found to be lower now. This is because 

 the increase in population comes to some extent from the children 

 of the foreign-born, who figured as such in 1880. When the full 

 results as to parent nativity are ascertainable, the comparison as 

 to changes and the relative proportion of the foreign-born ele- 

 ment as such in different localities can be clearly brought out, as 

 stated. 



The total native population of the country is 53,372,703, while 

 the total foreign-born population is 9,249,547. This latter figure 

 represents the total number of foreign -born living persons out of 

 the total foreign immigration during the history of the country. 

 Prior to 1819 the Government took no account of the number of 

 immigrants, but the accepted estimate gives the total number 

 between 1790 and 1819 at 250,000. In 1819 the Federal Govern- 

 ment took account of immigration,,, and the reports have been 

 very regular since then. The total immigration from 1819 to 

 1890 was 15,086,158. On June 1, 1890, therefore, there were living, 

 of this total number of immigrants, 9,249,547. The reports of 

 the Treasury Department furnish the information as to the 

 character of this body of immigrants. Future reports of the 

 Census Office will furnish information relative to the charac- 

 ter of the living foreign-born, not only as to the countries fur- 

 nishing foreign-born population, but all the other social facts 

 relating thereto gathered by the census. A complete analysis, 

 therefore, must be reserved for future publications of the Census 

 Office. But, looking at the primary facts as furnished by the 

 Treasury Department, it is learned that, of the 15,686,158 immi- 

 grants who have settled in this country since 1820, 3,503,227 came 

 from Ireland and 4,546,800 from Germany, including Prussia. 

 Adding these two numbers together, we find that Ireland and 

 Germany have furnished 8,050,027 out of the total number of im- 

 migrants, or more than 51 per cent of that total. The number 

 coming from Germany is one million, in round numbers, greater 

 than the number coming from Ireland. 



A study of the nationalities represented in the immigration to 

 this country shows that a little more than 50 per cent of the 

 whole number have come from Protestant countries, and if we 

 should look closely into the matter we should find that the two 

 great political parties in the United States absorb equal propor- 

 tions of the total volume of immigration. In a theological and 

 political sense, therefore, immigration has been quite equally 

 divided. 



When we look at industrial conditions, however, it is learned 



