Old Immigrants primarily came from which regions and shared what characteristics?

• A. Northern and Western Europe; Protestant; farmers; lived in the country
• B. Southern and Eastern Europe; Catholic or Jewish; lived in cities and worked in factories
• C. East Asia; Buddhist; merchants
• D. Africa; diverse; rural communities

Answer: (A)

Early immigrant groups came mostly from Northern and Western Europe, bringing Protestant faiths, and many were farmers who settled in rural areas. This pattern fits the period before 1880, when people seeking farmland and familiar cultural and religious backgrounds moved to the United States, helping shape rural communities. In contrast, later waves from Southern and Eastern Europe (and parts of Asia) tended to be more urban and industrial, with many Catholic or Jewish immigrants. The combination of origin region, religion, occupation, and settlement in the countryside makes this description the best fit.