Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/580

 572 EMIGRATION but numerous traces of them are found by the archaeologist, ethnologist, and linguist. Em- igration proper commenced when herdsmen congregated into nomadic tribes. Of such cor- porate emigration patriarchal history records some examples, as those of Abraham and Jacob. With the progress of agriculture and the growth of more definite political relations, trade, and commerce, began the emigration of single bodies of adventurers to distant countries. In this way, according to Hellenic traditions, Phosnicians, led by Cadmus, and Egyptians, led by Danaus and Cecrops, emigrated to Greece, the Heraclidre from Greece to Asia Minor, and the Tyrrhenians to Italy. The exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan was a corporate emigration of a people, on account of religious and political oppression, for which modern history furnishes parallels in the Mormon emigration to Utah and the emigration of the Boers in southern Africa. During the historical times of ancient Greece emigration generally assumed the character of colonization. Many flourishing and power- ful Greek colonies were thus sent forth along the shores of the Mediterranean and Black seas by Greece. The colonies of ancient Rome for the most part were rather outposts of an army and combinations of fortune hunters than settlements of men intending to found permanent residences. The great migration of the Germanic nations having destroyed the Roman empire, European society was for centuries subject to constant changes. Char- lemagne changed the direction of German emigration from the south to the east and north. While from that time the movements of German nations toward Italy assumed the character of mere military conquests, their emigration conquered nearly the whole country between the Elbe and Vistula rivers from the Slavic race. A counter-current from Asia, which set in at various periods of the middle ages, consisting of Magyars and Tartars, was successfully resisted, and the tide was even turned upon Asia by the crusades ; but at a later period another Asiatic race, the Osmanli Turks, succeeded in displacing the most de- cayed of Christian nations in southeastern Eu- rope, while almost simultaneously still another Asiatic race (the Arabs) was expelled from the southwestern peninsula, Spain, to which they had emigrated eight centuries before. In Eu- rope, Russia was among the earliest to perceive the advantages of immigration. Peter the Great ^invited emigrants from all nations to settle in Russia. His successors followed the same policy by granting premiums and valu- able privileges, such as exemption from taxa- tion for a certain number of years, exemption from ^military duty, and free homesteads to colonists. Induced by these advantages, a large number of emigrants from the Palati- nate settled in southern Russia about 1784. Immediately after the Napoleonic wars an ex- tensive Germanic emigration to Russia (inclu- ding Poland) took place. The total number of Germans who emigrated thither between the years 1816 and 1826 is estimated at 250,- 000. The agricultural colonies of Vielovish in the government of Tchernigov, and Rieben- dorf in that of Voronezh, a manufacturing colony near Poltava, a Moravian settlement at Sarepta, and a number of German colonies in the Crimea, originated in this way. During the reign of Nicholas emigration to Russia ceased almost entirely, but it revived to a certain de- gree after the accession of Alexander II. In- dividual emigration, as distinguished from the movements of nations, commenced on a large scale after the discovery of America. During the 1 6th century the nations in which the Roman element predominated, Spain, Portugal, and France, sent forth a great number of emigrants, most of them mere adventurers who did not in- tend to stay longer than might be necessary to become rich. The first attempts by the English to organize emigration to America likewise origi- nated in adventurous designs. In such attempts 300 men and 40,000 were lost from 1585 to 1590. In 1 606 mote than 2,000 emigrants were sent from England to North America to seek for gold, but they perished miserably, and in 1609 but 60 remained. The Hakluyt company for the colonization of Virginia lost 9,000 men and 100,000. At last religious contests laid a firm foundation for the permanent settlement of the North American continent. The emi- gration of the Puritans and their successful establishment in New England served as an example to all those who in Europe were op- pressed for the sake of their religion. Besides, the ground having been broken for the settle- ment of what are now the southern states of the Union, the fertility of their soil, their genial climate, and withal the still lingering hope of sudden enrichment by discoveries of precious metals, attracted large numbers of colonists. A strong tide of emigration from Germany set in toward Pennsylvania near the end of the 17th and during the 18th century; the Dutch colonized New York ; the Swedes Delaware ; Canada and Louisiana were settled by the French. Still the current of emigration to America during the 170 years of the colonial history was slow and tedious when compared with that which commenced after the war of independence, and especially when the success of American institutions had been tested by the experience of one generation. Since the formation of the government, the United States has been the principal point of emi- gration from Europe, and of late also from Asia, owing chiefly to the advantages pre- sented to the laboring classes, who constitute the great bulk of emigrants. Immigration from whatever source has been regarded with favor by the government, and laws have been passed at different times for the regulation of emigrant ships and the protection and comfort of emigrants. During the latter part of the 18th and the early part of the 19th century