76 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



Of the motives which actuated this immigration, the religious 

 and political, which had been very important, were rapidly 

 diminishing in influence. In general, hard times in their own 

 country due to crop failures and fluctuations in industry pre- 

 ceded the great waves of emigrants. This statement applies prin- 

 cipally to Ireland and Scandinavia although there were serious 

 crop failures in Germany, for example the one in Baden in 1825. 

 The famines in Ireland, however, surpassed all. The first one 

 occurred in 1826. Far more serious was the one due to potato 

 rot in 1846-7. As a result emigration and death reduced the 

 population 50 per cent. 



At the same time the general prosperity, which, with the ex- 

 ception of brief periods designated as panics, continued unin- 

 terruptedly throughout the century in this country, presented 

 an attractive antithesis. The liberality of our land laws invited 

 any foreigner to become a partaker of our prosperity since the}' 

 afforded him the opportunity either of securing a farm of his 

 own or of employment at good wages. The tariff, the invention 

 of new machinery, and the rapid development of new industries 

 were auxiliary forces tending at least temporarily to the better- 

 ment of the conditions of the laborers. The increasing facili- 

 ties of communication enabled the foreigner to compare the op- 

 portunities of the New "World with those of the Old. Advertis- 

 ing campaigns by the states and especially by private enterprises, 

 such as steamship companies, railways, and other American in- 

 dustrial organizations, which previous to the passage of the 

 Anti-Contract Immigration Law were absolutely unrestricted, 

 tended to create a favorable impression. Most influential of 

 all were letters from countrymen already in America. 



Of course there were also a number of other auxiliary causes. 

 Such were the improved facilities of reaching our country, the 

 financial assistance which foreigners settled here could render 

 in enabling relatives to come, and the dread caused by wars and 

 epidemics in the densely populated communities of Europe. 

 Back of all these, however, lay the prime psychological instinct 

 which has been back of all Teutonic migrations in historical 

 times, the desire for adventure the Teutonic wanderlust. 



Of these immigrants a relatively, large percentage engaged in 

 agriculture. Of the total number of males of foreign origin 



