THE IMMIGRANT. 225 



The strained relations with England followed by the war of 1812, 

 practically stopped immigration for several years. During 1817, how- 

 ever, twenty thousand immigrants arrived in the United States. This 

 number was unprecedented at that time, and caused considerable criti- 

 cism of the overcrowding of immigrant ships. 



Immigration first assumed large proportions during the decade 

 1831-1840. It increased progressively, and during the next twenty 

 years was relatively greater in proportion to the native population 

 than at any other period. The great famine in Ireland greatly in- 

 creased Irish immigration. German immigration was increased at 

 the same time because of industrial depression and the revolt of 1818. 

 The discovery of gold in California, no doubt, also contributed to the 

 increase of immigration at this time. 



Irish immigration reached its height in the decade 1841-1850, 

 when it constituted 46 per cent, of the total. It has declined steadily 

 and is now only 4 per cent, of our total. 



The Germans kept coming in increasing numbers and in the early 

 eighties were 30 per cent, of the total. They also have fallen off, and 

 now constitute less than 10 per cent. The Scandinavians became a 

 considerable factor in the decade 1861-1870, and in 1889 furnished 

 10 per cent, of our immigrants. Their proportion has also declined 

 and at present is about 10 per cent. With the decline in the propor- 

 tion of immigrants from the United Kingdom, Germany and the 

 Scandinavian countries, a rapid increase in the arrivals from Italy, 

 Austria-Hungary and Eussia is noticeable. 



This marked change in the complexion of immigration can be ap- 

 preciated from the fact that in 1875 we received 3,631 from Italy, 

 7,658 from Austria-Hungary and 8,981 from Eussia, while in 1903 

 we received 230,622 from Italy, 206,001 from Austria-Hungary and 

 136,093 from Eussia. In other words, the immigration from these 

 countries to 1875 was only 9 per cent., while to-day it constitutes about 

 67 per cent, of our total immigration. 



In general, the immigrant of the past differed greatly from the 

 immigrant of to-day. As has been stated, the first immigrants were 

 pioneers and differed little from the old colonists of pre-revolutionary 

 times. As time went on they spread from the Alleghenies to the 

 Mississippi, side by side with pioneers from the New England and 

 Southern states. These immigrants were agricultural in occupation 

 and were invariably home-seekers. 



The development of our vast natural resources, particularly coal 

 and iron, created a demand for a new type of immigrant, an unskilled 

 laborer, who may be styled an industrial immigrant. The building of 

 the great transcontinental and other lines of railroads furnished addi- 

 tional work for this industrial immigrant, and opened up vast new 



vol. lxv. — 15. 



