U.S. Census Office, Foreign Born Population by States and Territories: 1890 (1898)

This bar graph, using 1890 Census data and published in the 1890 Statistical Atlas of the United States under the direction of Henry Gannett, illustrates the distribution of the immigrant population by state. The data highlight New York’s dominance as an immigrant hub, with more than 1.5 million immigrants residing in New York City alone. Pennsylvania and Illinois followed with substantial immigrant populations, though each had roughly half as many immigrants as New York. Other northern states, including Massachusetts and Michigan, also reported relatively high immigrant populations, while southern states had comparatively small numbers. These patterns reflect broader settlement trends of the period, as most immigrants favored northern states over southern ones because of the North’s rapidly expanding industrial economy and greater employment opportunities. New York City, in particular, emerged as a primary destination because approximately 70 percent of immigrants entered the United States through its port during this time. Immigration continued to increase during this period, driven by economic hardship, political instability, and religious persecution in immigrants’ home countries.