The Role Of Immigration In The Early Nineteenth Century

In the early nineteenth century the United States underwent major economic and social change. Immigration helped to exponentially increase the population. Five million immigrants, primarily from Ireland and Germany, became new consumers and workers for the growing nation. At the same time, Americans moved westward. Canals, steamboats, and railroads were built to open up new areas of the country, link various regions, and allow farmers and manufacturers to specialize and produce for a growing market. These changes encouraged industrialization, leading to the use of machinery, wage labor, and the factory system. These extensive changes to American life affected females and males of every class differently.
The separation of work and home, along