During this period, the majority of immigrants into the United States were Germans. The peak time was the early 1880s in which approximately one million Germans entered the United States. Most of the Germans sought opportunities in Midwest. Irish and British were the other major immigrants during the period between 1870 and 1919.[1] Some of the factors that contributed toward increased immigration rate were the development of steam-powered ships that were swift. The increased number of ships also reduced fares, which allowed increased number of people to migrate from their native countries into the United States. Moreover, improvements in farming techniques created job opportunities for immigrants. The majority of immigrants sought to establish increased economic opportunities. Therefore, their presence in the country increased economic activities in the country. For instance, the presence of immigrants offered the country increased labor supply that played a leading role in expansion of agriculture among other sectors.
Most of these immigrants settled near urban centers in which they provided required labor to drive industries. Adequate labor supply had a significant effect on the expansion of industries, such as garment production, textile, automobile, coal, and steel. Such developments propelled the United States to become one of the leading global economic giants. On the other hand, the presence of immigrants in the country caused anxiety among some native citizens. Such sentiments were mainly propagated by wealthy native-born Americans, which led to emergence of xenophobia.[2] Consequently, some organizations were formed with the aim of limiting immigration into the United States. Health and security issues were among the leading reasons that were used to criticize the presence of immigrants. Some of these groups pushed for the illegalization of German and Irish Catholic immigrants. According to them, Catholics were likely to overwhelm the American society, as they were considered antagonistic. Some of the immigrants participated in the Union Army that promoted American interests. During the 1870 and 1919 period, legal mechanisms, such as Chinese Exclusion Act, were passed to mitigate immigration rates, especially on low-skilled immigrants.[3]