AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Migration in the Early Republic (Day 91/309)

Welcome to today’s explanation of Migration in my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

U.S. Population 1800 to 1861, Our World in Data

The United States experienced rapid population growth in the first half of the 19th century. High levels of international immigration as well as a high birth rate fueled massive demographic changes.

An Irish Peasant Family Discovering the Blight of their Store, Wikimedia Commons

Economic issues, such as the Irish potato famine, and political repression, as seen in Germany, pushed many Europeans to search for new opportunities. More than 5 million immigrants arrived from 1820 to 1860.

American Population Centers, 1820 & 1860, Sliderbase

The economic development spurred by the Market Revolution led to an increased need for industrial workers. Western land acquisitions and the transportation revolution spurred additional opportunities to own land and farm.

Know Nothing Party Flag, Wikimedia Commons

By 1830, ⅓ of the population lived west of the Alleghenies. By 1860, 20% of the population lived in industrial centers. With larger immigrant populations, opposition to immigration, called Nativism, increased as well.

There were significant population shifts in the first half of the 19th century as many international immigrants arrived to take advantage of both industrial work and agricultural opportunities.

Join me tomorrow as I explain the Class System in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!