As the United States industrialized, the demands for labor shifted Essay

As the United States industrialized, the demands for labor shifted increasingly from farms and plantations to factories. Explain the factors, in addition to rac - Essay Example More people shifted to the urban areas as a result of industrialization. Business was concentrated in the urban areas. An estimated 25 million immigrants moved to the United States between 1870 and 1916. The most successful of these immigrants were those who came from Europe. They created the workforce required for the new business activity. They also became consumers for the products which were made by industries. Many immigrants from Europe became rich due to huge fortunes from business boom (Bodnar, 1985). European immigrants soon overcame the new labor demand for a growing American economy. The economic growth allowed accommodating the migrants. European immigrants had diversified cultural, religious and national origins. Most of the American states that had the highest per capita incomes had a large population of immigrants. Europeans were able to better integrate and assimilate themselves into American society. No immigrant group could realistically mount any effective challenge that would help them resist assimilation. The healthy US economy and the ability of European immigrants to accommodate them into American society helped ensure their material progress and success. There was a mass migration of Swedes during the mid nineteenth century to the United States. Economic and political conditions in Sweden were very harsh. Land in the Midwest was sold at cheap rates to European peasants. The political and religious freedom of the United States attracted the Swedish immigrants. They had a high literacy rate which enabled to become successful in the United States. Swedish migrants established prosperous farming settlements in the virgin land of the Midwest. Other Swedes went to the cities taking whatever jobs they could. Swedish females became housemaids in American families. Swedes were also welcome by the Americans because of their assimilation into American culture. Another highly successful immigrant group was that