Migration from Hungary to America in the Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries (Based on the Materials of the “Collection of Consular Reports”)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the problem of migration processes in the late 19th – early 20th centuries from the territory of Austria-Hungary to America. Demand for workers in the United States, which has been active since the mid-19th century and exacerbation of socio-economic contradictions in Austria-Hungary in the second half of the 19th century, caused the intensification of migration flows between the two continents. Among the emigrants were all the nations who inhabited the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. But the population of the north-eastern regions of the country prevailed. At first there were Slovaks and Ukrainians. They traveled to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Low living standards due to economic backwardness, slow growth of production, lack of new technologies in agriculture only increased the flow of migrants. Lack of land suitable for agriculture, low wages also contributed to travel abroad. There were two main categories, workers, who returned home at the end of the working season, and it was mostly part of spring, summer and autumn, and the next year they went again to search some work. The second category – those who left and never returned. In the following years, some immigrants, Slovaks and Ukrainians, formed community centers, which played an important role in the formation of independent states. At the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries. There was the migration process between the United States and Austria-Hungary took place. The main routes of the continents passed through the ports of Hamburg and Bremen. The diplomacy of the Russian Empire paid much attention to the issue of migration. The interest was due to a desire to understand more about a country that was a political opponent of Russia in European politics. The work is written on the basis of diplomatic reports published in the "Collection of diplomatic reports" in the late 19th – early 20th century. The used materials provide an opportunity to study the process of resettlement of the nations of Hungary to America from the standpoint of Russian diplomacy in the late 19th – early 20th century.

Keywords

• migration processes
• emigration
• immigration
• austria-hungary
• united states of america