Population and Imigration in Boston
Ships were the conduit through which Europeans immigrated to the New World. As such, they played
a vital role in the foundation of the United States, and it is safe to say that they contributed
significantly to American society. At many different points throughout the colonial era, ships
brought refugees to the New World. The initial migrants to Plymouth fled religious persecution,
enduring hardships brought on by wild animals, fierce weather, and native peoples. They made the
journey because they sought a better life, and they were willing to sacrifice to achieve their
goals.1
Subsequent persecution and economic hardships brought more immigrants. When they came, they both
built towns and developed existing towns by purchasing goods from local merchants.2
Fundamentally, the United States is a nation of immigrants, particularly refugees, and this is
perhaps one of its most defining traits. Although colonial immigration slowed after 1690, the
population of Boston still doubled from 1667 to 1771: a result of natural increase.3
This significant population growth was in part a result of low infant mortality rates, demonstrating
that eventually America became a welcoming place for newcomers.4 The ships that delivered
immigrants to the New World were their primary means of finding a better life. Not only did ships
permanently affect American society, but without them, it would not exist.
- William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (c. 1650), quoted in Paul Halsall, "William Bradford: From History of Plymouth Plantation," Last modified July 1998, https://sourcebooks.forham.edu/mod/1650bradford.asp.
- Carville V. Earle, "The First English Towns of North America," Geographical Review 67, no. 1 (January 1977): 48, accessed March 6, 2022, https://www.jstor.org/stable/213602.
- James A. Henretta, "Economic Development and Social Structure in Colonial Boston," William and Mary Quarterly 22, no. 1 (January 1965): 85, accessed March 5, 2022, https://www.jstor.org/stable/1920768.
- Peter H. Lindert and Jeffery G. Williamson, "American Colonial Incomes," Economic History Review 69, no. 1 (Febuary 2016): 64, accessed March 5, 2022, https://www.jstor.org/stable/43910400