In 1890, where did more than 80% of the immigrants live?

In 1890, more than 80% of immigrants in the United States lived in cities or urban areas. The pull of economic opportunities, including jobs generated by the Industrial Revolution, was a major reason for this urban settlement pattern. Many immigrants settled in ethnic neighborhoods in major cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia, where they could find work, community, and support networks through fellow immigrants from their home countries.

Immigration in the late 19th and early 20th century was often driven by people seeking better opportunities in America, which had come to be known as the "land of opportunity." The immigrants during this time mostly came from Southern and Eastern Europe, including Italians, Jews from the Russian Empire and other parts of Eastern Europe, Poles, and Greeks, among others.

When these immigrants arrived in the United States, they found that industrial jobs were plentiful in cities where factories and other urban enterprises were in need of a labor force. This economic draw was coupled with the benefits of settling in communities where earlier migrants from the same countries had already established social institutions such as churches, synagogues, schools, and mutual aid societies, which offered support and aided in the assimilation process.

Many of the immigrants who ended up in urban centers lived in tenement housing, which were often crowded and unsanitary. Despite the challenging living conditions, these neighborhoods provided a cultural enclave where immigrants could maintain their languages, traditions, and cuisine while they adjusted to their new country.

The urbanization of immigrants had a lasting impact on the cities they settled in, contributing to the cultural diversity, population growth, and economic development of the United States. Their experiences and contributions are significant parts of American history and the nation's development.