1. 1820 to1860: Great Britain, Ireland, western Germany; 2. 1860 to 1890: the previous three countries continued to supply a majority of immigrants, however the Scandinavian countries provided a growing minority; 3. 1890 to 1910: the immigration from northern and western Europe declined considerably. The majority (one-half to two-thirds) were from eastern and southern Europe, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Russia.

From 1905 to 1914, an average of more than a million foreigners arrived each year. After the outbreak of World War I, the average dropped to just over 250,000 annually for the years 1915 to 1918. In 1921, the number rose to 800,000. Thereafter, the number of immigrants fell depending on conditions in Europe and limitations established by newly-established U.S. laws governing immigration.

Immigration to the United States reached a peak in the years 1901 to 1910 when 8,795,386 individuals, men, women and children, arrived on U.S. shores seeking a better life. The following numbers show the amount of immigrants to the U.S. for the years 1821-1950: