pull factors

• the US government did not have any laws about who could come into the country until 1875 when the first federal law was passed which said that immigrants had to be able to read or write in their own language
• america was easy to get to via steamships
• job opportunities - manual labour, working on farms, cotton picking etc
• land ownership - land was cheap compared to european countries
• gold rush - california gold rush attracted thousands of migrants looking for work
• religious freedom - americans were free to practice whatever religion they wanted without fear of persecution
• freedom of speech - americans were allowed to speak out against governments without fear of punishment
• political freedom - americans were free to vote and run for office
• industrialisation - new industries created many job opportunities
• economic growth - american economy grew rapidly during this time so there were more jobs available
• american dream - idea that anyone could achieve success through hard work and determination
• railways - railroads made it easier for people to travel across the country, making it more accessible