Factors Which Caused Large-Scale Emigration from either Europe or Asia - Coursework Example

Assignment One of ECON244 Name: LIU XIA (Amber) Student Number: 220086181 Lecture and Coordinator: Dr John Kellett Unit: ECON244 Assignment Number: Assignment One Topic: Essay Topic NO.3 Discuss the factors which caused large-scale emigration from EITHER Europe OR Asia during the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries (ie before World War Two). What were the economic consequences of such emigration? Due Date: 11 April 2013 Word Count: 2024 Introduction During the mid-nineteenth century all through to the early stages of the twentieth century, many Europeans estimated to be close to thirty million moved from Europe to the United States. This paper seeks to explain the reasons for European emigration to America. Such reasons as escaping religious, racial, and political persecution, seeking green pastures for employment, and some famines are expressed as the major reasons for the large-scale emigration in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and remain the reasons that push people out of their homelands. There are also recruiting agents that lured individual to enter into contract labor agreements that saw them move out of Europe to America. This labor embraced the employment opportunities offered in American textile industries, coal mines, pushcart markets in New York and steel mills and factories. Rail companies also distributed pamphlets that advertised for cheap farmland in overseas countries. This advertisement was put in different languages and later saw many Europeans flocking to the western farmlands (William, 2010, p. 370). However, a better percentage of the immigrants opted to settle in vast growing town to seize some employment opportunities. Such large-scale immigration however comes with different economic impacts on both the destination country and the immigrant’s homeland. Such things like inventions, improved development, and other economic effects of immigration are also discussed in the paper. Causes of European Emigration Aspects of global economy, such as demography, market changes and fluctuations, and agricultural aspect are the most important factors that pushed for the European large-scale emigration to America. Europe specifically realized a high population growth rate after a strong blend between falling infant mortality rate and agricultural advancements. To sum up, Europe experienced an increase of over 50 percent of its population between the years of 1800 and 1850 and a further 75 percent by 1914 (Isaacs 2007, p. 36-38). By the 19th century, almost every country in the European continent had increased its population by a factor of at least two. Although the Asian empire was also increasing in population, its growth would not match that of Europe with specific countries like Britain, Holland, Germany, Denmark, and Finland located in the western part of Europe. Although it is argued out that population growth cannot be responsible for leading to emigration in itself, combining increase in population with market integration that occurred in the 1840s made it a good cause of emigration. Market integration brought about standardized prices for overall commodities and hence food prices became globally standardized (William, 2010, p. 370). Market integration also led to industrial specialization and put more pressure on the agricultural economy after crop failures such as the Irish Potato Famine (Joseph 2009, p. 6-7). With increased population in Europe, land and other resources were highly demanded and their ability to meet the needs of the people became minimal. Therefore, as land became scarce, the agricultural sector faced high pressures and families had to seek new methods of earning a living (Dennis 2008, p. 96-98). By this time, America had developed and construction works in its industries together with the need for labor in their farmlands became a good source of income for European people. This therefore led to mass emigration to America in search of employment opportunities (Kraut, 2000, para. 1-2). However, this economic context alone does not quite justify the large-scale European emigration. For emigration to take place there must be some few factors to be considered. First, the emigrants must have a viable way or means of transport and the incentive of a better life and wages in their destination countries. Emigrants also need to have a means of paying for safe passage. In 1850, the means of transport from London to New York was a bit hectic and expensive, taking up to a month’s salary for skilled employees and two month’s wage for an unskilled labor (Isaacs 2007, p. 36). The means of transport were also not quite efficient and took several days to arrive. However, in the 1860s and after the introduction of ships that relied on steam power, the North Atlantic Shipping reduced its cost of transport, become even more reliable, and considerably fast. Britain also introduced “through” tickets after developments in the railway industry and thus making transportation in the region even cheaper (Madison, 2003). However, transport costs were still high since the Britain’s working class had to frequently call for support of their friends and family to fund their journey. In fact, most of the European emigrants to America were never “independent” since they relied on external support (Isaacs 2007, p. 36). Furthermore, although wage labor was already high in Europe, economic conditions, and wage labor of the destination country must also be better to help lure Europeans into emigration. This is because people wanted to increase their wages and earn a better living. In practice, this implied a very important resource for increased labor and capital ratio. This situation was best found in the United States. From 1814 to1914, 17million Europeans had migrated to America and over 80 percent of these decided to live in the America (Leonore & Uwe 2003, p. 5). Settlements such as New Zealand, Canada, and also Brazil and Argentina and the various ‘gold rushes’ in California and other parts improved the America’s public conception that emigration would come with a handy of potential economic rewards (Olga & Gary, 2012). In general, the higher level of wages and salaries in Europe encouraged the Europeans to determine their emigration direction since they had the ability to afford and meet their transport costs and other expenses. They chose destinations that were more profitable to them and the destination that needed less physical energy. With good financial base, the Europeans did not choose destinations that had poorer climates such as tropical climates and chose temperate climates such that of America (Dennis 2008, p. 96-98). The Europeans also had a strong military that would at times determine the destination of foreign migrants such as the Asians. They also had a good economic incentive to leave. This was also supported by the resource-rich “colonies of settlement” across Africa where the Europeans would exploit for their success. With these colonies of settlements, the Europeans would earn high wages, food production, and a better living condition that their rapidly growing homeland would not offer (Leslie 2003, p. 111). This financial power would allow the Europeans migrate to any destination of their choice. The choice of destination was done skillfully to ensure that the destination would offer economic success and does not have any cultural conflict with the European people (Dennis 2008, p. 96-98). Another important factor that supported European emigration to the America is the support that was offered by government or religious agencies to emigrants. Such agencies included Catholic Emigration Committee, the Salvation Army, and DrBarnardo’s Homes (Dennis 2008, p. 96-98). The basic idea behind government and religious support for European emigration was not only to put idle labor into use. The idea was to support European colonization and widen their colony settlements. Colonies that had a high population of Europeans would always be loyal to their ‘mother country’. Most destinations also often tried to attract European emigrants as well (Longhi, et al, 2005). Therefore, it can be argued that government support and religious lobbying played a significant role in fostering emigration of Europeans from Europe to America. European imperial policy encouraged sharing of information among its emigrants. This increased connectedness among the emigrants themselves and thus encouraging more people to leave their ‘homeland’. This encouragement was even more profound when people knew that they had other people who shared their language, culture, beliefs, and customs in their destination countries and therefore no fear of intimidation. Therefore, although support of government and religious agencies became limited later in the nineteenth century, their intervention played a role of offering security of an already existing community for new emigrants in the destination country (Dennis 2008, p. 96-98). Finally, one of the crucial causes of the European emigration to America was the potato famine in Ireland. The famine affected most Irish people economically and socially. This forced the Irish people to move to America where they would find potatoes. In fact, potato farming originally started in America before reaching Europe through the Columbian exchange (Joseph 2009, p. 6-7). Economic Effects of European Emigration Immigration affects labor market opportunities for the natives. The first view that supports this argument is that immigrants are more likely to have the same qualifications for the same job that natives would be doing and hence driving down the wages of the natives. The other view is that the services offered by immigrants complement those offered by the natives. On the other hand, natives allow immigrants to perform jobs that they least like. For instance, some immigrants may be unqualified in performing certain jobs but adept at working on farmlands that require few skills. Immigration also improves the economy of the destination country since natives of that country will choose to work on areas where they are best suited (Leslie 2003, p. 111). Although it is argued that entry of immigrants has the tendency of increasing the native wages, in the case of America, the overall increase is quite insignificant. This therefore means that the destination country may not realize a lot increase in its per capita income. On average, the increase can only be estimated to be around 0.22%. Of course, it is not possible that everyone will gain an increase from immigration. Employees that have competitive skills and qualifications will always suffer while landowners and employers gain a lot (Isaacs 2007, p. 36-38). Although some implications of migration to the sending and destination countries would be positive, remittances that the migrants send home remains the most controversial link between migration and development (Isaacs 2007, p. 36-38). Despite the social and cultural benefits of immigration, national policy makers argue that immigrants are a great economic burden. They argue that immigration leads to loss of employment with the hosting country, straining public services, and results in higher social insecurity and increased levels of criminality (Isaacs 2007, p. 36-38). The environment of job competition resulting from immigration has the tendency of pulling down the wages of the natives and burdens the government on how to control and take care of the increasing population of immigrants. In essence, the European emigration saw United States have a rapid development of manufacturing with a huge decrease in internal transportation costs, changes in the income distribution as well as greater outbreaks of nativism in the U.S. history (Raymond 2009, p. 190). In conclusion, the European emigration to America took place in the nineteenth century. As discussed above, the causes of the large-scale emigration include factors such as the need to seek better wages. Although the Europeans already had good pay, the need for even better employment opportunities was the core reason behind the emigration that was facilitated through labor contract agreements. This better pay offered the Europeans with a better opportunity to meet their transportation costs. Additionally, the Europeans always received support from its government and religious groups to facilitate their emigration. The development of steam ships also facilitated transportation and connectivity between London and New York. Steam power made transport cheaper and reliable. The Irish Potato Famine also contributed to the migration of the Irish people to the America where they would finally get potatoes (Joseph 2009, p. 6-7). Finally, the European had several colony settlements across Africa and exploited their resources for their gains. Large-scale migration also comes with various social and economic implications to the host country and the sending country. Issues like creating job competition and reducing the native wages are highly argued out as the main economic disadvantages of such mass immigration. Immigration also puts pressure of social amenities and services such as healthcare, education, water resources, transportation, and other important amenities. Mass immigration is also viewed to benefit the sending country more than the host country. This is because immigrants channel lots of remittance to their countries of origin for development and investment purposes. Finally, mass immigration can lead to social unrest and increased insecurity. References Dennis, W. (2008). Immigration: American Experience. New York: Infobase Publishing. Isaacs, A. (2007). Immigration and Emigration in Historical Perspectives. New York: Edizioni plus. Joseph, R. (2009). Irish Potato Famine. United States: ABDO Publishing Company. Kraut, A. (2000). The Huddled Masses: The Immigrant in American Society, 1880-1921, Retrieved 2nd May 2013 from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snpim1.htm Leonore, L. & Uwe, P. (2003). Migration: Immigration and Emigration in international Perspective. New York: Greenwood Publishing. Leslie, M. (2003). Moving Europeans: migration in Western Europe since 1650, 2nd edn. Indiana: Indiana University Press. Longhi, S., P. Nijkamp, and Poot, J. (2005). A Meta Analytic Assessment of the Effect of Immigration on Wages. Journal of Economic Surveys, 19(3), 451-477. Maddison, A. (2003). The World Economy: Historical Statistics. Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development. Paris. Olga, V. & Gary, N. (2012). Applying organizational commitment and human capital theories to emigration research. European Journal of Training and Development, 36(2/3), 308–328. Raymond, L. (2009). Mass migration Under Sail: European Immigration to the Antebellum United States. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. William, B. (2010). Past into Print: The Publishing of History in Britain, 1850-1950. Library Review, 59(5), 370–371.   Read More