Thousands upon thousands of poor but hopeful travelers set out for America, in search of a better life. Railroads, canals, meatpacking plants — there was opportunity in Chicago. Show
Immigrants learned that to survive and prosper in a hostile urban environment of unleashed capital, they needed to stick together. Mutual aid societies and houses of worship provided support and kept their histories and languages alive. The strong communal bonds that could in effect relocate a European village to a single tenement are evident today in many of Chicago's neighborhoods. While the points of origin may have changed over the years, Chicago continues to welcome a significant immigrant population. page 1 of 1About Local Legacies According to the 1900 census, the population of the United States was then 76.3 million. Nearly 14 percent of the population—approximately 10.4 million people—was born outside of the United States. Drawn by America’s labor opportunities, immigrants came predominantly from Canada and Europe, migrating from countries such as Germany, Britain, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. The statistics gathered by the 1900 census were published in 1903 in an atlas that converted the census data into maps and charts. This map uses color gradation to indicate the population density of foreign-born inhabitants. Lighter areas have a lower percentage of immigrants while darker areas have a larger percentage of immigrants. Two charts compiled from census data accompany the map: the first provides the statistical breakdown of the foreign-born inhabitants of each state and territory in 1900, while the second chart indicates the immigrants’ country of birth. Overall, the map and the charts illustrate the diversity of the American population at the turn of the twentieth century. Foreign-born Population of the United States by State of ResidenceState or Territory Total Population Foreign Born Population Percentage of Population That Was Foreign Born Alabama 1,828,697 14,592 0.8% Alaska 63,592 12,661 19.9% Arizona 122,931 24,233 19.7% Arkansas 1,311,564 14,289 1.1% California 1,485,053 367,240 24.7% Colorado 539,700 91,155 16.9% Connecticut 908,420 238,210 26.2% Delaware 184,735 13,810 7.5% District of Columbia 278,718 20,119 7.2% Florida 528,542 23,832 4.5% Georgia 2,216,331 12,403 0.6% Hawaii 154,001 90,780 58.9% Idaho 161,772 24,604 15.2% Illinois 4,821,550 966,747 20.1% Indiana 2,516,462 142,121 5.6% Indian Territory 392,060 4,858 1.2% Iowa 2,231,853 305,920 13.7% Kansas 1,470,495 126,685 8.6% Kentucky 2,147,174 50,249 2.3% Louisiana 1,381,625 52,903 3.8% Maine 694,466 93,330 13.4% Maryland 1,188,044 93,934 7.9% Massachusetts 2,805,346 846,324 30.2% Michigan 2,420,982 541,653 22.4% Minnesota 1,751,394 505,318 28.9% Mississippi 1,551,270 7,981 0.5% Missouri 3,106,665 216,379 7% Montana 243,329 67,067 27.6% Nebraska 1,066,300 177,347 16.6% Nevada 42,335 10,093 23.8% New Hampshire 411,588 88,107 21.4% New Jersey 1,883,669 431,884 22.9% New Mexico 195,310 13,625 7% New York 7,268,894 1,900,425 26.1% North Carolina 1,893,810 4,492 0.2% North Dakota 319,146 113,091 35.4% Ohio 4,157,545 458,734 11% Oklahoma 398,331 15,680 3.9% Oregon 413,536 65,748 15.9% Pennsylvania 6,302,115 985,250 15.6% Rhode Island 428,556 134,519 31.4% South Carolina 1,310,316 5,528 0.4% South Dakota 401,570 88,508 22% Tennessee 2,020,616 17,746 0.9% Texas 3,048,710 179,357 5.9% Utah 276,749 53,777 19.4% Vermont 343,641 44,747 13% Virginia 1,854,184 19,461 1% Washington 518,103 111,364 21.5% West Virginia 958,800 22,451 2.3% Wisconsin 2,069,042 515,971 24.9% Wyoming 92,531 17,415 18.8% Servicemen Stationed Oversees 91,219 15,368 16.8% Total 76,273,387 10,460,085 13.7% Census Reports Volume 1. Twelfth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1900. Population Part 1 (Washington, United States Census Office, 1901) Foreign-born Population of the United States by Country of OriginCountry of Migration Number of Immigrants Africa 2,577 Asia (except China, Japan, and India) 11,928 Atlantic Islands 10,955 Australia 7,041 Austria 276,702 Belgium 29,848 Bohemia 156,999 Canada 1,183,225 Central America 3,911 China 106,659 Cuba 11,159 Denmark 154,616 England 843,491 Europe (Not otherwise specified) 2,272 Finland 63,440 France 104,534 Germany 2,669,164 Greece 8,655 Holland 105,098 Hungary 145,815 India 2,069 Ireland 1,619,469 Italy 484,703 Japan 81,590 Luxemburg 3,042 Mexico 103,445 Norway 338,426 Pacific Islands 2,659 Poland 383,645 Portugal 37,144 Romania 15,043 Russia 424,372 Scotland 234,699 South America 4,814 Spain 7,284 Sweden 574,625 Switzerland 115,959 Turkey 9,949 Wales 93,744 West Indies 14,468 Other countries (Not otherwise specified) 2,587 Born at Sea 8,310
10,460,135 Source: Census Reports Volume 1. Twelfth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1900. Population Part 3 (Washington, United States Census Office, 1901) Questions for Discussion
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