German Immigrants in Michigan and their Contribution to the State's Population

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Immigrants in Michigan
The early to mid-19th century witnessed an increased number of immigrants in the United States, with states such as Michigan recording significant increases in the general population. Michigan recorded a three times increase in its population from 749,113 to over 2 million due to an increase in the number of immigrants from the mid to late 19th century (Rubenstein, pg 128). The overall population increase in Michigan also reflected in the city of Detroit, with over 400% increase in population from a low of 45,619 to 205,876 (Rubenstein, pg 128). It is that one of the contributions of immigrants in Michigan was increasing its overall population due to the influx of different ethnic groups from foreign countries into the state for equally diverse reasons. The German and Italian immigrants, for instance, sought jobs in factories and shops across the southern towns of Michigan and thus providing a valuable addition to its labor market (Catton, pg. 156). The Irish and other European immigrants, on the other hand, worked the railway lines and mills across the state. The diverse expertise brought by the foreign ethnic groups functioned to promote Michigan’s economy while also bringing about cultural diversity in their new habitats. Immigrants in Michigan also became the source of social upheaval among the leadership and the Michigan-born constituents who blamed the foreigners for the increased social disorderly behaviors. For instance, in 1887, Governor Russel Alger observed that the foreign-born inhabitants accounted for a majority of criminal activities, poor living conditions, and cripples in the state of Michigan (Catton, pg. 155). The diverse contributions of the foreign ethnic groups that immigrated to Michigan call for a detailed analysis and evaluation of their incorporation into the state’s population. An evaluation and analysis of the German immigrants in Michigan provide an excellent platform for understanding their contribution to the state’s population.
The early and mid-19th century witnessed a great influx of German immigrants into the United States driven by an equally wide range of factors. The first wave of German immigrants in Michigan came from Bavaria, Westphalia, and Mecklenburg in the late 19th century(Kilar, pg 56). Most of these immigrants came for missionary work to spread Christianity, as witnessed by the setting up of the Ora Labora community center by the German Methodists in 1857(Kilar, pg 56). The Center encouraged members of the immigrant ethnic group to pray and work. The immigrants did not share the German nationality as Germany was yet to become a unified nation. Consequently, the immigrants came in droves of individuals and groups with different financial and intellectual abiliti...