Explanation: Southern Italy experienced a number of natural disasters. The volcano Mount Vesuvius, near Naples, erupted in 1906, and the lava completely buried the closest town. In 1908, an earthquake caused a tidal wave that swept through the Strait of Messina between Sicily and the Italian mainland, killing over 100,000 in the city of Messina alone. Immigration to America was attractive to Italians in the south as a way out of economic hardship and away from natural catastrophes. Many Italian immigrants to the United States as a result.
In the late 1800s, people in many parts of the world decided to leave their homes and immigrate to the United States. Fleeing crop failure, land and job shortages, rising taxes, and famine, many came to the U. S. because it was perceived as the land of economic opportunity.
