The Infusion of inferior Blood. 



37 



nationalities, but in the fact that the character of the immigra- 

 tion from other countries is lower than heretofore in respect to 

 wealth, education and morality. Altogether the changes which 

 the character of the immigration has taken on in the past ten 

 or fifteen years have tended to lower the standard of American 

 citizenship and press upon us the question whether it is not wise 

 to take steps for limiting immigration. 



Of the entire body of immigrants who have joined us, 4,504,128 

 or 28 per cent are Germans ; 5,911,454 have come from the United 

 Kingdom, 3,481,074 of which are Irish. The United Kingdom 

 and Germany together have supplied two-thirds of the entire 

 immigration. Norway, Sweden and Denmark have furnished 

 1,067,548, while the contingent from other European countries 

 has been comparatively small in amount. The constituents of 

 the total immigration and of the immigration during the last 

 decade are shown graphically in plate 12. 



The foreign born. 



What effect has the flood of immigration had upon the con- 

 stitution of our population? In 1840 all our j^eople were of 

 native birth, with the exception of 600,000 newly arrived im- 

 migrants. In 1850 tliose of foreign birth constituted between 

 9 and 10 per cent of our population. In 1860 this proportion 

 had risen to 13 per cent, and in 1870 to nearly 14J per cent. In 

 1880 it suffered a slight reduction, being about 132- per cent, but 

 in 1890 it had risen to 14 1 per cent, while the foreign born found 

 in the country in that year numbered no fewer than 9,250,000. 

 These facts are set forth in the following table : 



Increase of the foreign born. 



The following table shows the proportion which the native and 

 foreign born bore to the total population at each census since 



6— Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. V, 1S93. 



