The Context of Immigration in the 19th Century

This essay explores the push and pull factors that shaped immigration in the 19th century. It analyzes primary and secondary sources to understand the reasons behind immigration.

Short Essay: The Context of Immigration in the 19th Century
Introduction
Immigration is a phenomenon which is thoroughly shaped and triggered by several factors that
should be classified under two broad headings, viz. the push factors and the pull factors. Migration of
people from homeland to the foreign land depends largely on several push factors. Push factors constitute
factors like conflict, natural calamities like drought, famine, and/or extreme religious fanaticism that
eventually get transformed into oppressive measures. It must also be noted that poor economic conditions
including stunted economic growth can also act as a push factor instigating immigration. Moreover, there
are some indigenous factors that eventually force a particular population to immigrate from the
motherland/homeland to the foreign land. Such factors often include factors like racial discrimination,
cultural discrimination, political oppressions and intolerance, religious intolerance and persecution of
people who oppose the status quo in a particular country. Then there are the pull factors that originate in
the destination country attracting the individual or group to eventually leave the homeland. The pull
factors constitute the phenomenon called place utility that denotes the desirability of a certain place or
region that specifically attract the migrants. Factors like better economic scopes and opportunities,
prevalent of a strong employment-oriented economy, better job market, and the opportunity to have a
quality life – all are factors that can be considered as the pull factors. Geographical conditions also
sometime act as pull factors for the migrants. Moreover, certain specific ideologies also guide individuals
to bend their minds towards embracing the decision of relocating to foreign lands in search of a better
future – both social and professional. It should be noted that while studying and assessing the motivations
of the migrants of the 19th century Charlotte Erickson did note that published migrant letters should not be
considered as the solely reliable firsthand documentation for understanding the reasons of immigration. In
this regard Erickson did suggest that it is essential to study other documents to reach the conclusion in
this regard. Considering the suggestion of Erickson and taking into consideration the need of analysing
different primary and secondary sources in order to learn the real reasons of immigration in the 19th
century, this paper is going to concentrate on such specific analysis.
Body
While analysing some specific secondary sources of knowledge about the reasons of immigration
in the 19th century importance should be given on Erickson’s (1994) and Baines’ (1991) works. In the
work “Leaving England: Essays on British Emigration in the Nineteenth Century,” Erickson (1994) has
indicated towards the validity of the push and pull theory in terms of explaining and interpreting the
motives and reasons behind immigration in the 19th century.1 In her work Erickson has thrown light to the
socio-political changes that occurred in England triggering emigration from the country to the United
States and to North American countries. In doing so, Erickson did rely on the analysis and interpretation
of different primary sources including letters and other forms of primary documents. It should be noted
that while interpreting and analysing the passenger lists of ships that arrived in the U.S. ports, Erickson
did succeed to eventually reconstruct the changing social and demographic profile of those English
immigrants and she also rendered efforts to compare them with individuals and groups that emigrated
from other parts of the British isles and from different parts of Europe.2 Quite interestingly in the
testimony of Francis Spaight that has been used by Erickson in her research work some basic socio-
economic reasons supporting the push factor have been conveyed. How the potato famine in Ireland
eventually exposed the country’s economic weaknesses and how it weakened the social structure of the
country compelling many Irish people to emigrate to the United States and to certain countries of North
1 Charlotte Erickson, 'Introduction' in Charlotte Erickson, Leaving England: Essays on British Emigration in the
Nineteenth Century, (Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 1994).
2 Ibid

America have been elaborated by Erickson in a thorough manner.3 Such elaboration throws light on some
essential and inevitable push factors triggering immigration in the 19th century. Some of the British
Parliamentary Papers of 1857 also highlighted the dismal economic conditions that ultimately forced
many to leave their homeland for the United States and for some countries in North America. Poor
economic conditions, political oppressions, and racial and cultural discriminations – all played a crucial
role in uprooting natives from their homeland triggering emigration in a thorough and explicit manner.4
Moreover, while analysing the letters of John Fischer (quoted in Charlotte Erickson’s work, “Invisible
Migrants: The Adaption of English and Scottish Immigrants in Nineteenth-Century America) one is sure
to find the pull factors that eventually attracted many individuals and compelled them to leave England
and other European countries for settling either in the United States or in some countries of North
America.5 The liberal taxation policies of United States attracted many English men and women and
paved the way for their immigration. The agricultural scopes and opportunities also opened the door for
many people who gradually started emigrating from England and other European countries to the United
States.6 Such events are pointers to the fact that several pull factors also played significant role in
triggering the immigration in the nineteenth century. Furthermore, the shipping list of assisted immigrants
who travelled from the United Kingdom to Victoria also acts as a major primary source for understanding
the push factors behind the immigration in the nineteenth century in an explicit manner. How the
deteriorating economic and political conditions deliberately compelled vast number of people to
immigrate and relocate in Victoria has been properly accounted in the concerned shipping list.7 Besides,
Dudley Baines’ work should also be considered as an important secondary source meant for
understanding the reasons behind the nineteenth century immigration primarily because it hinted on the
push and pull factors that determined the nature of immigration in the nineteenth century. The marital
status of individual, their social conditions and their economic status along with their dreams – all worked
as push and pull factors instigating myriads of individuals to leave their homeland in Europe for countries
like the United States.8
Conclusion
In conclusion, it must be said that for understanding historical phenomena like immigration it is
better to analyse and interpret multiple primary and secondary sources. It is not the right approach to stick
to a single particular source for interpreting such phenomenon. The work of Erickson and Baines should
be considered important in the context of understanding the reasons of immigration in the nineteenth
century primarily because such works deal with multiple sources of information (both primary and
secondary). Such usage broadens the arena of information and eventually paves the way for the
reconstruction of the history of immigration in a thorough and appropriate manner.
Bibliography
3 Testimony of Francis Spaight, Report of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on Colonization from Ireland
together with Minutes of Evidence, British Parliamentary Papers, 1857, VI (737) pp.333-6, 338-40 quoted in
Charlotte Erickson, Emigration from Europe, 1815-1914 (London: Adam and Charles Black, 1976) pp.31-38.
4 Ibid
5 Letters of John Fischer, 1831-1837, quoted in Charlotte Erickson, Invisible Migrants: The Adaption of English and
Scottish Immigrants in Nineteenth-Century America, (Widenfield and Nicholson, London, 1972) pp. 114-125.
6 Ibid
7 Shipping List of Assisted Immigrants from UK to Victoria, Thames 1853, PROV, VPRS 14.
8 Dudley Baines, ‘Problems in the History of European Emigration’, Chapter 1 in D.E. Baines, Emigration From
Europe 1815-1930, Macmillan, London, 1991

Charlotte Erickson, 'Introduction' in Charlotte Erickson, Leaving England: Essays on British Emigration
in the Nineteenth Century, (Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 1994).
Dudley Baines, ‘Problems in the History of European Emigration’, Chapter 1 in D.E. Baines, Emigration
From Europe 1815-1930, Macmillan, London, 1991
Letters of John Fischer, 1831-1837, quoted in Charlotte Erickson, Invisible Migrants: The Adaption of
English and Scottish Immigrants in Nineteenth-Century America, (Widenfield and Nicholson, London,
1972) pp. 114-125.
Testimony of Francis Spaight, Report of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on Colonization
from Ireland together with Minutes of Evidence, British Parliamentary Papers, 1857, VI (737) pp.333-6,
338-40 quoted in Charlotte Erickson, Emigration from Europe, 1815-1914 (London: Adam and Charles
Black, 1976) pp.31-38.