The 2nd wave of immigration was primarily Irish and German.

The 2nd wave of immigration was primarily Irish and German.

• A. Irish and German
• B. Italian and Greek
• C. Chinese and Japanese
• D. Africans and Caribbeans

Answer: (A)

Mid-1800s immigration to the United States was driven mainly by two large groups: Irish and German. The Irish fled devastating potato famine and ongoing economic hardship, while many Germans left after political unrest and economic difficulties following the 1848 revolutions. Together they became the dominant sources of that second major wave, settling across cities and the Midwest and shaping communities and culture here. Other groups don’t define that mid-19th century surge: Italians and Greeks became more prominent later in the 19th and early 20th centuries; Chinese and Japanese immigration was part of an earlier or different pattern and faced distinct restrictions; Africans and Caribbeans represent earlier enslaved populations or later migrations that don’t characterize this particular wave.

Mid-1800s immigration to the United States was driven mainly by two large groups: Irish and German. The Irish fled devastating potato famine and ongoing economic hardship, while many Germans left after political unrest and economic difficulties following the 1848 revolutions. Together they became the dominant sources of that second major wave, settling across cities and the Midwest and shaping communities and culture here.

Other groups don’t define that mid-19th century surge: Italians and Greeks became more prominent later in the 19th and early 20th centuries; Chinese and Japanese immigration was part of an earlier or different pattern and faced distinct restrictions; Africans and Caribbeans represent earlier enslaved populations or later migrations that don’t characterize this particular wave.