Expert: Ralph Salier - 11/24/2006

Question
Hi Mr. Salier,

I have always been interested in how & why various ethnic groups chose to settle in certain regions of America. Why do Milwaukee, Cinncinnati, & St. Louis seem to have the largest German populations in the U.S. Was there something special about these areas? Why did the Scotch-Irish choose to settle in Appalachia, where the living was & still is hard, after they came from a country of hardship? It seems if they had moved to the cities where the economy was brighter, they would of endured less trials.
Could you recommend any material or book(s) which would assist me in understanding all of this?

I thank you greatly!

Sincerely,

Mike

Answer
Hi Mike,  There is no easy answer to this question.  But acording to demographers and historians, people from an area in Europe or other areas tended to migrate to places which are most similar to their homes or the kind of work they were accustomed to.  In fact, once a colony was established they actively recurited back home for more people to come.  That is why so many Germans moved to these cities and why the Scotch, Irish, and Welsh moved to the Mountians.  The Scots, Irish and Welsh were miners and mining was big in the mountians.  There are several books on immigration and what encouraged people to migrate to one area or another.