The People(s) of North America and the US: Demographic Developments, Migration, Immigration History, Ehtnic Groups

334,901,229

1. absolute growth of population
2. (change in) ethnic composition of the population (but also other characteristics such as age, region, income, etc.)
3. International and internal migrations within US

• United States Census Bureau
• Pew Research Center (fact based information, data driven research)
• US population increased almost a hundred fold from 1790 till 2010 from 4 mil to 300

• ~ 1500: ca. 75 mil. in Western Hemisphere; 7 to 10 mil in NA
• 1890: ~ 250,000 Natives (continental US)

--> Extreme decrease due to colonization

• 1960: 520,000 (growth rate: 1,1%)
• 2010: 5,2 mil. (562+ tribal entities)

• most Native Am. live in the West which includes the largest reservations

Reservations: Legal designation for an area of land that is managed by a federally recognized Native Amrican tribe rather than the state governments of the US --> seperate entity

• 1620-1808 (end of internat. slave trade): 450,000 enslaved Africans were brought to US
• by 1861 4,4 million AAs (4 million enslaved) lived in US (1,1% of total population)
• today/2010 ca. 40 mil, 13% of total population of the US

• only estimates/ unreliable figures
• Microsources: Journals & documents of Plymouth Plantation 1620 (100 English Colonists) or Germantown 1683 (13 German families)

Around 1700:

• Br. North America: 250,000 colonists
• French North Am./ Canada: 15,000
• Spanish Southwest: 5,000

• American Revolution: ca. 2,5 mi. Colonists in British colonies

• only in 1830 that Immigration numbers were also recorded
• around 17 mil people immigrated to US
• peak times: 1880-1900; 1901-1910; 1991-2000

old immigration (until 1880s, Northern Europe)

vs.

new immigration (1880 to WWI, Southern & Eastern Europe)

• since the 1960s: increased immigr. from Asia, Mexico & South America with Hispanics being the fastest growing group ( since 2003 largest non-white ethnic group in US)

Push factors:

• war
• social conditions
• economic crises
• political repression
• religious intolerance

Pull factors:

• personal liberties
• economic opportunities
• political system
• religious tolerance
• promotional literature

• to maintain the WASP identity
• 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act
• 1891: Immigration Act --> Ellis Island & Angel Island
• 1924: National Origins Act (quota system)
• 1965: Immigration and Nationality Act (reform of quota system)
• since 1980s: several laws & regulations/ legalizaition
• Homeland Security Act (2002)

• 1800: most Americans live in rural areas
• 1900: 40% in rural areas
• 2000: 80% in irban/ metropolitan areas (50% in suburban areas)

1. New York
2. Philadelphia
3. Boston

1. NY
2. Chicago
3. Philadelphia

1. NY
2. Los Angeles
3. Chicago

• Shift from East to West
• top inhabited cities are in the West/Southwest where population growth really takes place nowadays

• 1940: 21%
• 2000: ca. 50% (and rising)
• (predominantly white) middle class families
• The American dream come true (?) vs. 2007-08 financial crisis