1. Religious Freedom
From around 1680, large numbers of settlers began arriving to the middle colonies. Many were members of Protestant sects that were looking for freedom of religion and cheap land. Presbyterian settlers from North England, Scotland and Ulster were fleeing religious persecution. Some French Huguenots and Germans were also present.
2. to be close to industrial jobs.
Most immigrants from 1850 to 1930 settled in cities in order to be closer to industrial jobs. They made up the bulk of the U.S. industrial labor pool, giving rise to industries such as steel, coal, automotive, textile and garment production.
3. European protestants.
The first era of immigration to the United States brought mainly Northern European, protestant immigrants, primarily of British, German and Dutch extraction. Over 90% of these immigrants became farmers.
4. Immigrants left Ellis Island within hours; immigrants often remained at Angel Island for weeks.
Angel Island Immigration Station was located in the San Francisco Bay, and it operated from 1910-1940. Immigrants entering the United States here were detained and interrogated. Most immigrants were from China, Japan, India, the Phillipines and Mexico. The length of time they were detained for could often last for months. This was very different from Ellis Island, where the regulation was much more relaxed, and often lasted only hours.
