Why People Immigrated to America in the Years: 1830 to 1890

Some of the reasons why people immigrated to America are: in search of a better way of life, the American Dream, political, economic, and religious reasons. There were many German and Irish immigrants in the years, 1830 to 1890. Many Irish immigrated to America, because of famine and poverty in Ireland, while many Germans immigrated, because of political turmoil that was constant. The German revolution of 1848 failed, and economic problems failed to be solved by the government, which caused many Germans to immigrate to America.

Reasons people immigrated to the United States during the years 1830 to 1890, was that land was still plentiful and could be acquired at a fairly cheap price. The jobs were abundant, laborers scarce, and industry was increasing. It was the start of the Industrial Revolution. The technology and great improvements in ship building made it possible for many people to travel to the Americas, where they could find jobs in factories, build railroads, and all other types of things that they could do. Many immigrants had little money, and had to travel in steerage, where the conditions were horrendous. The conditions in steerage were overcrowded, filthy and dirty, and many people became sick. Some people died.

Once the immigrants arrived, they hoped for a better life with an education and hard work to help them succeed. Many of them worked in jobs that were the worst and highly dangerous, jobs not wanted by anyone else. Life in America wasn't easy for many immigrants, as they had to work hard and struggle to make it in their new country. Immigrants saw a chance for a better way of life, and to be able to live in freedom. Immigrants came from all over the world and created the melting pot in the United States.

In 1854 my grandmother's great-grandfather decided to leave his home in Germany to come to America to start a new life. He had a German name, which was Wilhelm. He lived in Lenzen-Elbe, in Germany. Lenzen-Elbe was in the province of Prussia, in the department of Potsdam. He ended up in Chicago for awhile, before moving on to Alta Vista, Iowa. While in Chicago there had been a cholera outbreak. He had written a paper that he titled, "From the Cradle to the Grave" in which he had written down his experiences of coming to the United States. He had mentioned in the paper about a cholera outbreak, and that there were worms in the water.

Later, Wilhelm left Chicago and moved to a tiny mid-western town in Iowa called Alta Vista. Alta Vista is a small town in a farming community. Wilhelm married a girl named Minnie and together they had a family. They had a son that they named William, which was my grandmother's father. Wilhelm opened a tavern and had owned some land, which he donated to the town for a cemetery. Wilhelm is buried in the cemetery, among other family members, who have since passed on.

Wilhelm's mother and sister joined him in the United States in 1855, one year after he had arrived. My grandmother, Esther was the daughter of William and Katherine. William and Katherine had a son named Alfred , who died young after being scalded to death in a vat of hot water, when the women were washing the clothes one day. My grandmother had another brother named Ed. Ed was married and lived with his family in a small mid-western town called Elma, Iowa, which was not too far from Alta Vista. My grandmother, Esther lived in Elma for many years. My grandmother was married to John Carl, and they had four children. My grandfather was always called, "Jack" by the people,who knew him. He owned a blacksmith shop in Elma, he drove a school bus, and he was a sheriff for the town for a couple of years.

My grandmother and grandfather had four children: Donald , Norma , Carmella and John , Jr., who was always called, "Jackie" by the people, who knew him. Donald was married to a girl named Marcella, they had four or five children and they lived in Stoddard, Wisconsin on the Mississippi River. Norma married Dennis and they had eleven children. They lived in Waterloo, Iowa. My mother, Carmella mrried Brice. They had five children. My mother and father lived in Elma, until they were divorced and he moved to Santa Monica, California in 1956. Later. he left Santa Monica and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He was remarried by common law to his second wife, Mildred. They had one daughter named Roberta Jo, but she was always called, Bobbie Jo. Donald and Marcella's children all had blond hair. Their children still live in the area around Stoddard and Lacrosse, Wisconsin. A lot of history has happened, since Wilhelm immigrated to America in 1854, to start a new life and his family tree has grown quite a bit with many branches and new branches yet to come.

Its a lot of fun to know where your ancestors came from. Immigrants came from all over the world to a new world to find a better way of life. They came to America to escape persecution, political strife, famine, poverty, and to find freedoms that they did not have in their native countries. Immigrants from all over the world created the melting pot known as America.