Immigration Patterns in the United States Map

Use the information below to complete your Immigration Patterns in the United Statesmap

  1. Be sure to include each major group on your map.
  2. Be sure to include a Key for your map.
  3. Choose 1 color for each immigration peak
  4. Choose symbols (or even letters) to represent each major group and where they settled
  5. Create a Cut-Away box for major peak (or phase) of immigration. Include in their information on who came, where they settled, and why they came. Look for general patterns you can see in each immigration peak.
  6. Create 1 additional Cut-Away box to explain the short periods of decreasing immigration. Basically answering the question, “Why did immigration to the US slow down during these time periods?”
  1. Colonial Immigration (1607 – 1840) (British, Africans, Dutch, French, Spanish)
  2. British – 90% of all immigrants. Settled in the area of the American Colonies from Massachusetts to Georgia between the Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachian Mountains.
  3. African – Brought to the American Colonies as slaves during this time period and settled mostly in the southern colonies (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia)
  4. Dutch – Came almost exclusively in the early period of colonization and settled in New Amsterdam (now New York City). Dutch colonization ended by 1674.
  5. French – Colonized and settled in southern Louisiana until the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Also established some cities in the Great Lakes region (like Detroit) but lost them during the French and Indian War to the British.
  6. Spanish – Had some small settlements in Florida (St. Augustine and Pensacola) during colonization.
  1. Post Civil War Immigration (1840-1890) (Northern and Western Europe)
  1. Germans – Came after the American Independence and settled in Pennsylvania, western New York, and the Mid-West (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois Missouri).
  2. Scandinavians (mostly Swedes and Norwegians) – Came during the 1870s and 1880s to escape overcrowding and poor farming conditions in Sweden and Norway. They settled in the rural areas of the Mid-West (especially Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin)
  3. Irish – Came to the U.S. after the Potato Famine of the 1840s. Landed and settled in the major port cities of the Northeast (Boston, New York City, Philadelphia) Spread throughout the states of New York and Massachusetts.
  4. English – Came to the U.S. during the 1880s – 1900s as religious converts (Mormons) and settled in Utah and Idaho.
  1. Early 20th Century Immigration (1900-1950) (Southern and Eastern Europe)
  1. Italians – Came to escape economic decline and unemployment in Italy from 1900 until 1950. Italians settled almost exclusively in New York City, New Jersey, and Chicago.They settled in clustered groups called Little Italy.
  2. Czech – Came to escape poor farming conditions and overcrowding in what is today the Czech Republic. Most were farmers who settled in the fertile Great Plains and established many farming communities. Mostly located in rural areas of Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Texas.
  3. Polish – Poland was occupied by Russia, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Prussia in the mid to late 1800s. Many Polish left to escape the rule of these countries and theiranti-Catholic laws. Most entered through the port of Baltimore but quickly resettled to urban areas in the Mid-West (especially Chicago, Illinois, Cleveland, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and to rural Texas.
  1. Asian Immigration (1960-1990) (Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino)
  1. Chinese – Came seeking economic prosperity in the 1800s and then again in late 20th century escaping the political oppression of Communism. Settled in Northern California (San Francisco area) and coastal areas of Oregon and Washington. The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943 opening the door to increase Chinese Immigration. Most actually came from Taiwan. They settled in clustered groups called Chinatown.
  2. Vietnamese – Came mostly in the 1970s and 1980s as political refugees from the effects of the Vietnam War and the Communist takeover that followed. Most resettled in major port cities in coastal southern California (Los Angeles) and SE Texas (Houston)
  3. Filipinos –Left to escape poor economic conditions and corrupt governments after the Philippines received independence from the United States in 1946. Most Filipinos came in the 1960s and most settled in Hawaii, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, and around US Naval Bases around the country due to heavy recruitment into the Navy.
  1. Latin American Immigration (1940-present) (Latin America)
  1. Mexicans – Migrated as a way to find employment and provide money for family members back home in Mexico. Most settled in the border areas in the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. They make up the largest group of Hispanic immigrants to United States.
  2. Cubans – Left after the Communist revolution in Cuba in 1959 by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. They were escaping the loss of political and economic freedoms of Communism. Most Cubans migrated quickly to Miami (other areas of south Florida) and Urban City, New Jersey. They settled in clustered groups called Little Havana.
  3. Salvadorans–left El Salvador during the 1980s and 1990s due to violence and poverty in their home country caused by the Salvadoran Civil War. Most Salvadorans settled in Maryland, Virginia, Los Angeles, and Houston.