U.S. Census Office, Density of Foreign Born Population (1903)

This choropleth map, included in the 1900 Statistical Atlas of the United States compiled under the direction of Henry Gannett, uses data from the 1900 Census to depict the population density of immigrants by county in the United States. During this time, the United States experienced a major influx of immigrants, with approximately 12 million arriving, mostly from European countries. Immigrants typically entered the country through ports on the East and West Coasts, with a particularly significant number arriving on the East Coast. New York City was the primary port of entry, with roughly 70 percent of all immigrants entering the United States through the city during this period. A substantial number of Chinese immigrants also arrived during this time, primarily settling along the West Coast. These settlement patterns are clearly reflected in the population densities shown on the map. As Gannett noted in his description, “...nearly nine-tenths of the foreign born element has settled north of the thirty-ninth parallel of latitude, a very small proportion of this element being found in the Southern states” (p.48). Approximately 90 percent of immigrants settled in the northern states, with especially high population densities along the Northeast Coast due to its proximity to New York City. The map also reveals notable exceptions to this general pattern, including pockets of high immigrant population density outside the North. For example, New Orleans, Louisiana, appears in very dark shading, indicating a significant immigrant population in the region.