U.S. Census Office, Proportion of Foreign Born of Each Leading Nationality by States and Territories (1903)

This 100% stacked bar graph, included in the 1900 Statistical Atlas of the United States, depicts the composition of each state’s immigrant population in 1900. Immigration to the United States during the late 19th century was extremely high, with most immigrants coming from European countries. Germans constituted the largest immigrant group nationwide, with German immigrants representing the largest proportion of the immigrant population in 22 states. The graph also highlights the diversity of immigrant origins during this period. Although most immigrants came from Europe, this pattern did not hold in every state. For example, immigrants from Mexico formed the largest immigrant population in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; in Hawaii, the largest groups came from Japan and China; and in Florida, immigrants from the West Indies predominated.