Before 1871, from which parts of Europe did most immigrants come?

• A. Northern and Western Europe
• B. Southern Europe
• C. Eastern Europe
• D. Asia

Answer: (A)

Most immigrants before 1871 came from Northern and Western Europe. These regions—think Britain, Ireland, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries—had already developed strong economic opportunities and experienced population pressures that pushed people to seek a better life abroad. The paths to emigration were well established: ports on the western and northern shores facilitated travel to the United States, and sizable immigrant communities formed networks that helped new arrivals settle. This combination of push factors at home and pull factors in the U.S. meant large numbers left from these parts of Europe in the mid-1800s, including Irish who fled famine and Germans and others seeking work and liberty. In later decades, larger waves came from Southern and Eastern Europe and, to some extent, Asia, but those sources did not dominate before 1871.