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 Since 1820 over twenty million persons have emigrated from Europe to countries beyond the sea. The greater part of this emigration has been to the United States of North America. The history of emigration is well shown in the following table of emigration from Great Britain and Ireland. Down to 1853 the figures include all emigrants from British ports; after 1853 emigrants of British and Irish origin only.

The general direction of emigration from Europe is shown in the following table:— Emigration from various Countries of Europe.

Statistics of Immigration—.The statistics of the United States are the most important and the most complete. The statistics since 1820 are shown in the following table:

Immigration into the United States, 1820–1905.

Prior to 1820 there was no official record of immigration, but it is estimated that the total number of immigrants from the close of the Revolutionary War was 250,000. During the decade from 1820 to 1830 the movement was very moderate. From 1830 to 1840 it steadily increased, but never reached 100,000 per annum. In 1846 came the Irish potato famine, and an enormous emigration began, followed by a very large German emigration from similar causes. The Civil War of the United States interrupted the movement, but it was speedily resumed on an enlarged scale owing especially to the improved means of ocean transportation. It culminated in the decade 1880–1890, and declined after the commercial crisis of 1893. Later there was another increase.

The relative movement of nationalities is best presented by the statistics of the United States. The nationality (country of origin of immigrants coming to the United States, 1871–1895) is shown in the following table:

Nationality of Immigration to the United States.