Immigrants were vital to the growth of the US before the Civil War. New immigrants from Ireland and Germany made up the bulk of the labor pools that worked on creating railroads, canals, and factories. This nearly limitless supply of cheap labor allowed the US to build a strong industrial base prior to the Civil War. Many immigrants also went West in search of a better life.
Immigrants were drawn to the United States based on the promise of living a better life than they did in the Old World—when this life was unattainable in the cities, many immigrants went west in search of...
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