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Pre- American- 1820 European Immigration
Between 1607 and 1820, about 2 million European immigrants came to the American Colonies, later the United States. About 90% of these people were from Britain. These people voluntarily and forcefully moved to America, either for economic opportunity in the New World or to escape persecution in their home country. -
Slave Trade
In the 1700s, about 400,000 slaves were transported to the 13 colonies, what is now the American east coast. The importing of slaves was made illegal in 1808 by the U.S. government, but over 250,000 more slaves were brought to America within the next half century. This migration was forced, as the British, and later Americans, forced the slaves to come to America. -
Trail of Tears
Between 1830 and 1838, Native Americans were forced to move to preserves in what is now Oklahoma. The Indian Removal Act enabled the government to remove these people in order to make more room for white settlers. This migration was forced upon these people, and many Native Americans died on the way to the preserves. -
German and Irish Migration to America
Between 1840 and 1850, of the 200,000 immigrant to the U.S, three fourths of them were German or Irish. The reason these people came to America was because of economic push factors. Germans also migrated to escape political unrest. These country's immigrants were forced out of their countries due to terrible economic situations. -
The Gold Rush
In early 1848, gold was found in California, causing a massive population boom in that area. The voluntary migration was caused by the pull factor of economic opportunity. The Gold Rush began in 1848 and lasted until 1855. -
Irish and German Immigration in the 1870s
Following a decline during the American Civil War, the immigration from Germany and Ireland declined, rising up again after the war. These people came for the same reasons the migrants before them did, better economic opportunity. -
Scandinavian Immigration to the United States
In the 1880s, Scandinavian immigration to America became large quickly, joining Germany and Ireland as European countries that were emigrating many people to the U.S. This was due to Scandinavia reaching its industrial revolution, causing a massive population boom, making jobs less available. People came to America looking for economic opportunity. -
European migration to America
From 1905- 1914 (the start of WWI) European immigration to America was extremely high due to the pull factor of economic opportunity. This migration was international, and it was voluntary, to an extent, as some would argue that Europeans were forced to move due to political tensions, which would eventually start WWI. -
Brazilian Migration to Brasilia
Due to the population of the interior of Brazil being extremely sparse, in 1860 the Brazilian government decided to move the country's capital to the newly constructed Brasilia, which was in the interior of the country, to motivate people to move there. Because jobs in the city became available, many people moved there for economic opportunity. -
Immigration to Europe due to the Guest Worker program
During the 1960s and 1970s, Germany and other developed European countries started a program called the Guest Worker program. This program allowed people from poorer countries to come over to these countries and work temporarily. This migration was voluntary, stimulated by economic opportunity. The effects of the program can still be seen today, as many workers from this program are still in these countries, and now have kids and grandkids. -
Chinese Migration Toward the Coast
Due to restrictions on migration being lifted in China, the mid- 1980s saw the start of a movement from rural to urban. Since 1979, the population of urban ares has nearly tripled in size, partly due to migration, and partly due to the reclassification of what is an urban area. Like most migrations, this migration was voluntary in search of economic opportunity in these urban areas. -
Immigration from Latin America to the United States
In the late 1900s and early 2000s, the immigration from Latin American countries has been large compared to other groups of immigrants, only surpassed by those from Asia. Over a half Million Latin American immigrants come to America each year, totaling to more than twice the amount in the entire nineteenth century. This voluntary migration is due to the pull factor of economic opportunity. -
Asian Immigration to America
Since the 1990s, the largest source of immigration to the United States has been from the continent Asia, more specifically China, the Philippines, India, and Vietnam. The reason for these people moving to America is for economic opportunity, like many other people who immigrate to America. -
Migration from Afghanistan and Iraq
Due to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, many people have been forced out of these countries. These countries were the source of most refugees in 2010. The political push factor was war, so this migration was forced -
Deportation of Unauthorized Mexican Immigrants
In 2010, the state border patrol deported a record 390,000 illegal Mexican immigrants, due to pressure from the American people to step up their security. The immigrants who were deported were likely seeking economic opportunity in the United States, and did not go through customs and get into the U.S. legally. Since they were deported, however, this migration was forced for political reasons.
