Speech #680081003

This is the way we started out as a people. In the 30year period. from 1790 to 1820. we increased our population from a little over 3.000.000 to nearly 8.000.000. During this period only 250.000 immigrants came to our shores. Almost all were from northern and western Europe. By 1840 the white population had increased to a little over 14.000.000. Notwithstanding this increase. our immigration likewise from northern and western Europe amounted to but 641.000. In other words. about the same number of immigrants came during the first 50 years of our history as came in annually during the 10year average preceding the outbreak of the Great War. What does this signify? Our early pioneer work. which Roosevelt so well described as " The winning of the West." consisting of the crossing of the mountains. the settling of the Great Lakes region and the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. wias largely by the then native stock reenforced by a sprinkling of immigrants from northern and western Europe. Then came the period of our intensive internal development. continuing from 1840 until 1890. Immigration increased. but the sources continued to be from northern and western Europe. By 1890 immigration for the preceding or first 100 years reached a little over 15.000.000. All but 6 per cent of this number caine during the last half of this period. The percentage from northern and western Europe during the entire period was over 80 per cent. During the 30year period from 1890 to 1920 nearly 18.000.000 immigrants were admitted. or more than the entire number for the preceding 100 years. It was in this period that the sources changed to southern and eastern Europe. Mr.