Fletcher W. Hewes & Henry Gannett, Foreign Population Ratio to Total Population by Counties (1883)

This choropleth map depicts the ratio of the foreign born population compared to the total population, per county, in the United States in 1880. It was included in Scribner's Statistical Atlas of the United States, published in 1883, compiled under the direction of Fletcher W. Hewes and Henry Gannett using 1880 US Census data.  During the late 19th century, the United States saw an influx of immigration (especially from European countries), with about 12 million immigrants arriving between 1870 and 1900. Thanks to successful efforts at industrialization, the United States offered migrants various economic opportunities. For many, it also offered an alternative to the hardships they faced at home, including job shortages, crop failures, famine, political or religious persecution, and rising taxes. In this visualization, the darker the mapped area, the higher the percentage of immigrants living there, with the exception of pure white areas, which represent counties with immigrant populations of over 40%. The map also distinguishes between settled land, unsettled land, and Native American Reservations. It highlights the settlement patterns of immigrants, with the highest populations located on the East and West Coasts. Immigrants from European countries typically entered the United States through ports on the East Coast, while immigrants from Asian countries arrived through ports on the West Coast, with 70% of all immigrants coming to the United States through New York City. Surrounding the main choropleth map are various additional data visualizations that provide further statistical information on the immigrant population in the United States at the time. For example, in the bottom left corner, a horizontal bar graph shows data on immigrant populations by state.