Which States Did Immigrants Live In? Census of 1860

Pat Young

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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According to the Preliminary Report of the 1860 Census, the foreign-born population in 1860 broke down as follows:

census 18601.JPG
census 18602.JPG
 
Although there is a persistent belief that large numbers of Irish and Scottish immigrants enlisted in Confederate regiments, the census numbers show that the base immigrant population in the South was too tiny to supports many units above the size of companies. New York and North Carolina provide a stark contrast in numbers. North Carolina had 889 Irish-born and 637 from Scotland in its total population in 1860. By contrast New York had 498,072 Irish born and 27,641 from Scotland.
 
In 1860, British North America consisted of the United Province of Canada (Ontario and Quebec), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Each of these colonies had its own government which related back to the UK, but not to other colonies in British North America. British North America also included the northwest territories.
 
Here is an interesting table of the states persons tended to migrate to if they left the state of their birth:

View attachment 122942

Is that from the same 1860 source? If so, it is pretty interesting, since "Dakota Territory" (see: Minnesota) and "Colorado Territory" (see: Kansas) were not around in 1860 :smile:

Dakota Territory was Nebraska Territory, and Colorado Territory was made up from parts of Utah Territory, Kansas Territory, and Nebraska Territory. Both were carved out in 1861
 
Is that from the same 1860 source? If so, it is pretty interesting, since "Dakota Territory" (see: Minnesota) and "Colorado Territory" (see: Kansas) were not around in 1860 :smile:

Dakota Territory was Nebraska Territory, and Colorado Territory was made up from parts of Utah Territory, Kansas Territory, and Nebraska Territory. Both were carved out in 1861
I can't find the publication date, but I am guessing the report on the 1860 Census came out the following year.
 
I can't find the publication date, but I am guessing the report on the 1860 Census came out the following year.

Sure. But I assume that the 1860 census took place during 1860, data was collected then and published a year later. There were no such things as Dakota and Colorado Territories in 1860. I wonder if they collected the data by city and then they assigned it to the Territory it belonged in the day of publication.

Kinda like seeing Alaska and Hawaii in those tables, if you know what I mean. Sticks out like a sore thumb.
 
Sure. But I assume that the 1860 census took place during 1860, data was collected then and published a year later. There were no such things as Dakota and Colorado Territories in 1860. I wonder if they collected the data by city and then they assigned it to the Territory it belonged in the day of publication.

Kinda like seeing Alaska and Hawaii in those tables, if you know what I mean. Sticks out like a sore thumb.
Guessing it was classified by town village and county.
 
Some other interesting details: We think of Pennsylvania as being some how "German" but the Irish immigrants out numbered the German immigrants at the start of the Civil War. Over half of all Irish immigrants lived in just three of Northern states.
 
That's a very interesting table indeed Pat. I'm printing it and adding it to my file cabinet hard-copy materials.

I of course had to look at English and German immigrants in South Carolina because of my family connections. Lots of Germans there but not very many English by comparison. I wonder why.
 
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