Perspective: European Immigrant

Taken together, these factors help explain not only why immigrants chose to come to a new land but also why, despite the many difficulties awaiting them, they decided to stay. Their stories share many themes that are also apparent in immigration history after Confederation. Migrants searched for new opportunities and chose destinations for the economic rewards they promised. They located close to families, friends, and like-

minded migrants of similar cultural and religious backgrounds. They worked hard for adequate financial reward, and they endured many difficult times. Their immigrant experience, then, was shaped by complex social and economic circumstances at home and by the expectations they brought to America.

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