A Growing and Expanding American Nation

Between 1790 and 1820, the population of the United States more than doubled to nearly 10 million people. Remarkably, this growth was almost entirely the result of reproduction, but immigration had a large impact on America during this time. Immigration is the movement of foreign people into a country. During this time a large number of immigrants came to America. The booming population led to the Industrial Revolution that would forever change the economy; or the way Americans conducted business.

After 1815, because of all the European wars and religious conflicts, immigration to the United States increased drastically. Competing merchants and commercial shipping needed westbound payloads, making transatlantic immigration affordable. Migrants were interested in coming to America because of the prospect of abundant land, high wages, and what they saw as endless economic opportunities. For the next several decades, the number of immigrants continued to rise. By the 1840s, nearly 1.7 million immigrants came to America; and during the 1850s the greatest influx of immigrants in American history—approximately 2.6 million—came to the United States.

By 1860, the number of states had more than doubled to 33 from the original 13. There were only three countries in the western world that were more populous than the United States (Russia, France, Austria). Forty-three cities in the United States boasted populations of more than 20,000 people. Most of the immigrants coming to the United States came from Ireland, Germany, and from China. Many of these immigrants took up residence in city centers and urban areas where they could afford to live, joining American workers in urbanization - the process of people moving to cities because of the changing market and economy in the United States.

During the 1800s, most European immigrants entered the United States through New York. Ships would discharge their passengers, and the immigrants would immediately have to fend for themselves in a foreign land. It did not take long for thieves and con-men to take advantage of the newcomers, and for what would come to be known as "Nativists," that essentially projected their hatred onto immigrants. In 1855, the New York legislature, hoping to curb some of these problems, turned the southern tip of Manhattan into an immigration receiving center called Ellis Island. Ellis Island is where the Statue of Liberty is today. The immigration center recorded their names, nationalities, and destinations; gave them cursory physical examinations; and sometimes assisted them with finding jobs.

Irish

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a potato blight when a rot attacked the potato crop, and nearly two million people died of disease and hunger. This is called famine, and its the reason tens of thousands of Irish fled to America. By the end of the century, more Irish lived in American than in Ireland, with nearly 2 million arriving between 1830 and 1860. As they arrived in the United States, they were too poor to move west and buy land, so they congregated in large cities along the eastern coast. As a rule, Irish immigrants lived in crowded, dirty tenement buildings that were plagued by high crime rates, infectious disease, prostitution, and alcoholism. They were stereotyped as being ignorant, lazy, and dirty. The Irish accepted whatever wages employers offered them, working in steel mills, warehouses, and shipyards or with construction gangs building canals and railways. As they competed for jobs, they were often confronted with “Nativism”, or the "Know-Nothing Party", who would discriminate against them based on their immigrant status. Despite discrimination, by 1850 the Irish made up over half the populations of Boston and New York City.

German

The Germans were another group that left their European homes to come to America. Many Germans moved to America in response to William Penn’s offer of free religious expression and cheap land in Pennsylvania. Between 1830 and 1860, more than 1.5 million Germans migrated to American soil. Many of them were farmers, but many were also cultured, educated, professional people who were displaced by the failed democratic revolution in Germany in 1848. The German communities preserved traditions of abundant food, beer, and music consumption. Their culture contributed to the American way of life with such things as the Christmas tree and Kindergarten (children’s garden), but just like the Irish their cultural differences often garnered suspicion from their “native” American neighbors.

Chinese

Another group that helped build a more modern America were the Chinese. Escaping the Taiping Rebellion in China, many had little choice and either looked for gold during the California Gold Rush of 1849, helped build the Transcontinental Railroad or worked Southern Plantations after the Civil War.

America had always been a land of immigrants, but for many American “natives,” the large influx of immigrants in the 1840s and 1850s posed a threat of unknown languages and customs. Some Americans feared that foreigners would outnumber them and eventually overrun the country. The natives saw the mass settlements of Irish and German Catholics as a threat to their hard-won religious and political liberties. This hostility rekindled the spirit of European religious wars, resulting in several armed clashes between Protestants and Catholics. The poor conditions of immigrants and oppression of Irish Catholics and Germans by the Nativists or "Know-Nothings" even led to a violent riot called Bloody Monday. The city of Louisville, Kentucky was left burning among street fights. 22 people died, nobody was convicted of a crime.

Native Americans and Slavery

The treatment of Native Americans stayed largely the same throughout industrialization in the United States. Natives were pushed westward, more and more into reservations and assimilation programs. As the country expanded west, the ancient way of life of the Native Americans disappeared with every line of railroad that brought "civilization" to the untamed parts of the American West, for better or worse.

For slaves, industrialization and the mechanization of agriculture brought an explosion in demand for slavery. Even though Northern states began to outlaw slavery, it boomed in the cotton-producing Southern states.

Immigration and Population Growth in Texas

The French

La Salle’s Expedition to Louisiana in 1684, painted in 1844 by Theodore Gudin.

The French were early traders with the Indians and Spanish in Texas. La Salle landed near Sabine Pass in 1685 and established Fort Saint Louis. La Salle was murdered by his own men near Navasota in 1687. Many Frenchmen came to Texas after the Louisiana Purchase to escape Anglo-American domination.

The early French settlers included Creoles, Cajuns, refugees from the slave uprisings in Santo Domingo and emigres from the French Revolution. These immigrants were farmers, businessmen, slave traders, pirates, and soldiers. A pirate community was established on Galveston Island by Jean Lafitte. The community contained more than 1,000 persons at its peak in 1818.

France was the first European power to recognize the independence of the Texas Republic. A treaty was proclaimed between France and the Republic of Texas in 1840. This treaty continued until 1846.

The French were very helpful to Texas by adding education, culture, and business into the area. The French missionaries founded churches, schools and hospitals in Texas. After the Civil War, the French helped settle the western section of the state.

Those who immigrated to Texas made their way in small groups or singly until the 1840's. At this time, Henri Castro established a colony in Castroville. In 1876, the Franco-Texan Land Company was was the most successful effort to bring the French to Texas.

Scandinavians: Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish

Scandinavians, such as the Danish, began arriving in Texas as early as 1820. Many Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish immigrants and settlers arrived at the beginning off Mexican Independence from Spain and participated in some way in the Texas Revolution. Europe at that time was in conflict over the collapse of the feudal system and the overthrow of monarchical governments in favor of some form of constitutional democracies that would become some of the world's most efficient by the 21st century. Sweden, Norway and Denmark at the time were poor, overpopulated countries with little food. Leaving economic hardships and overpopulation, Scandinavians were an industrious group who valued education, many coming as physicians or businesspeople. Many would become farmers and laborers in a growing industrial society.

Scandinavians often landed on the East Coast, making their way to Texas through overland routes or through the port of Galveston. Many continued to Houston. A number settled in Central Texas, especially in Austin. The first Norwegin settlement was in 1845 in Henderson County. Other settlements followed in Kaufman and Van Zandt Counties. Many Norwegians moved to Bosque County in 1854. In the 1860's families began arriving in Lee County. They consisted of farmers and craftsmen. The Danes scattered and intermarried frequently with Germans.

The Swedes, as well as other Scandinavians, valued education and mastered English to become good citizens and achieve economic security. They were a successful group of immigrants. They did not stay within distinct communities, but did maintain their association through church. Most were Lutheran or Methodist.

The Polish

Polish immigration to Texas began early in the 19th century. Before the 1850's, Poles came singly or in small groups. During the 1850's, Polish immigration increased. Many of these immigrants were farmers and businessmen. The first organized group of immigrants to America sailed from Bremen and landed on Galveston in 1854. Their destination was Karnes County. The Polish immigration continued after the Civil War mostly to East Central Texas. The immigrants were escaping poverty, political, cultural, and religious hardships. Houston held the largest concentration of Polish immigrants.

The Germans

There are the occasional German adventurers and settlers who had been Spanish subjects. But the beginning of the true German settlement in Texas can be dated from the arrival of pioneers Friedrich Ernst, "Father of German Immigration to Texas," and Charles Fordtran in 1831. From 1831 to 1845, Germans came to Texas alone or in small groups.

Thousands of Germans arrived in Galveston, Houston and the valleys between the Brazos and Colorado rivers. Once in Galveston, they would travel overland to New Braunfels, or by boat to Indianola, Victoria, or New Braunfels. Most settled in in Central Texas. The German migration peaked in 1848 to avoid the political problems in Germany. There were other reasons for their migration to Texas. Some sought economic and social improvement, as well as other reasons.

Between 1830 and 1860, more than 1.5 million Germans migrated to American soil. Many of them were farmers, but many were also cultured, educated, professional people who were displaced by the failed democratic revolution in Germany in 1848. The German communities preserved traditions of abundant food, beer, and music consumption. Their culture contributed to the American way of life with such things as the Christmas tree and schools.

The Czech and Slovak

The Czech and Slovak immigration consisted of Bohemian, Moravian, Silesian, German-Bohemian, Slovak, Ruthenian, Jewish, Austrian or Hungarian.

Czech immigration to Texas did not begin until the 1850's. The first group arrived in Galveston in 1852. Most of the Czech immigrants had been farmers in Europe and settled in the coastal plains of Texas. They then moved to other parts of the state. The Texas Czechs are known for their methods of cultivation and they played a major part to the Texas cotton industry.

The Czechs have kept their heritage alive today in churches, festivals, Czech newspapers, fraternal organizaitons, and radio.

In 1836, there were only a few Jews in Texas. They came in increasing numbers after this time. Their reason for immigration to Texas was the economic and political unrest in Europe. Jews came from no particular geographic region and represented many nationalities. Some Jews settled in commercial areas and others in small towns. Many Jews entered the port of Galveston sponsored by the Jewish Immigrants Information Bureau.

The Greeks, Syrians, and Lebanese

The first known Greek that came to Texas with Jean Lafitte, the pirate. He was known as Captain Nicholas. He settled in Galveston and lived until a few days before his 100th birthday. He perished in the 1900 storm. The first Greek community was in Galveston. They consisted of fishermen, sailors, and merchants. They joined with Serbians, Russians, and Syrians to build the Orthodox church.

The first Syrians and Lebanese arrived just before the Civil War, when the U. S. Army attempted to develop camel transportation between Texas and California. The camel tenders were mostly Arabs, Greeks and Turks. In the 1880's, immigrants began arriving in Texas. Christians were the first. A few Moslems came before 1945. Many left because of overpopulation, economic, religious, political, and social hardships. These immigrants contributed the Phoenician alphabet. Most were peddlers. Immigration was limited after 1924.

The Greek, Syrian, and Lebanese communities began in the late 19th century. These were fishermen, sailors, and adventurers. Their major immigration into Texas was between 1890 to 1920. Their reason for immigrating to Texas was the economic depression, overpopulation, unstable government, social pressures and wars in Greece. These immigrants settled in cities where they would benefit economically. They frequently worked in cafes until they could speak English and were able to open their own cafes or other businesses.

The Italians and Swiss

The first Italian to view Texas was in 1497 in search of trade routes. Coronado and his group traveled across the area in 1541. Italian immigration increased after 1875, leaving behind poverty and military service. They were noted for their musical skills and culinary talents. The population in Texas was small and most lived in the Galveston-Houston area and in the Dallas area. The Swiss began immigrating to Texas in 1821. They had several plans to settle large groups, that failed to materialize. The Swiss had little reason to immigrate to Texas. They did come on their own and contributed to the Texas independence. They slowly arrived until 1880. Many settled in north Texas communities. Their careers were farming, ranching, banking, and dairy. There were few Swiss in Texas, however more than other neighboring states.

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