The "Old" Immigration.

During the first half of the nineteenth century German, Irish, Chinese, Mexican, Scandinavian, and French Canadian immigrants poured into the United States in search of a better life or better work opportunities. The largest groups were by far the Germans, Irish, and Mexicans. Each settled in different regions of the country. Germans settled in the Northeast and Midwest and the Irish in eastern cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Many Mexican immigrants had not moved into the United States; instead, they found themselves living in the United States after it annexed Texas in 1845 and the Southwest and California in 1848. Chinese immigration to the United States was not large during this period, but it played a significant role in the economic development of California, particularly in building the cross-country railroads. No matter where they settled, new immigrants made...