Immigration to New York City during the Civil War

Pat Young

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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I came across these stats on immigrants arriving in New York City during the Civil War that were published in the NY Tribune. I am not sure what the arrivals were in 1860 for comaprison, but I know they fell off sharply when the war began. Folks don't travel to a country in the midst of a Civil War. What is remarkable was the sharp increases every year after 1861.

New York Tribune
Wednesday, Jan 11, 1865
New York, NY
Vol: XXIV
Issue: 7415
Page: 4

immigration ny civil war.JPG


I don't know why there is no stat for Ireland for 1864. I assume that there was substantial immigration from there and that it was included in the cumulative total.
 
I came across these stats on immigrants arriving in New York City during the Civil War that were published in the NY Tribune. I am not sure what the arrivals were in 1860 for comaprison, but I know they fell off sharply when the war began. Folks don't travel to a country in the midst of a Civil War. What is remarkable was the sharp increases every year after 1861.

New York Tribune
Wednesday, Jan 11, 1865
New York, NY
Vol: XXIV
Issue: 7415
Page: 4

View attachment 300125

I don't know why there is no stat for Ireland for 1864. I assume that there was substantial immigration from there and that it was included in the cumulative total.
The better study was published in 1911. https://books.google.com/books?id=c...al review of immigration 1820 to 1910&f=false

1861 91,918
1862 91,985
1863 176,282
1864 193,417
1865 248,120
Total 601,515
The rate recovered while the Civil War was ongoing, and while the news coming out of Virginia was still bad. Nonetheless because the immigrant population was about 60% male, the US made a large part of its labor force losses while the war was still happening.

1866 318,568
1867 315,722
1868 131,840 this was for 6 months
Total 773,130 As soon as the war was over English and Irish immigrants came pouring in from Canada.
 
801723​
The correct total for 1861-1865 is 801, 723, which is consistent with the population of the US having grown during the war.
 
I imagine that the War stopped some folks from coming. But even the possibility of being swept up in the conflict may have seemed like better odds than staying at home to a lot of emigrants. Times were tough and the USA, war or no war, was a huge step up for most newcomers.
 
The numbers from British North America, and from Britain unspecified, for 1866, 1867 and 1868, suggest a lot of draft dodgers, and non naturalized immigrants were hiding in Canada or England, and called themselves immigrants on the census forms.
 
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