the shores of the Great Lakes with strips of shading marking the course of the rivers and canals. This was only natural. When the tedious and unpleasant ocean voyage had been completed many of the immigrants were ready to remain on the first land they reached. Others who had their faces set toward the West continued their journey but when lake and river steamer or canal boat finally deposited them at some frontier settlement they had no desire to purchase the equipment necessary for an overland journey and push onward across the prairies. They were not impelled by the motive of some early American pioneers who were driven by an eager desire to escape from all society. The most accessible location where land for a home was available was the abiding-place of the foreigner."

In this respect Iowa was at a disadvantage during the decade of the forties. Railroads had not yet bound it to the navigation of the Great Lakes and immigrants ascending the Mississippi River found desirable homes on the eastern side above the Ohio, or were tempted to ascend the tributaries that flowed through the fertile Illinois prairies long before the lands of Iowa revealed themselves on the western bank. In the following decade other deterrent factors were at work."

5 Ninth Census of the United States, 1870, Population and Social Statistics, p. 297.

This trait of the American pioneer is widely commented on by foreign travellers. On the road to Pittsburgh an observer noted, "Americans rarely remain here; they clear the wood, patch up a log house, and sell it to those emigrants who do not like the hard work of the pioneer."- Pulszky's White, Red, Black, Sketches of American Society, Vol. I, p. 267.

Not until the early months of 1854 was the first continuous railway connection between Chicago and the Mississippi established by the completion of a line to Rock Island.- Cole's The Era of the Civil War, p. 41. This volume is the third volume of The Centennial History of Illinois. Before Chicago became the commercial metropolis of Illinois, the largest German settlements were located in the southern counties opposite St. Louis.- Beinlich's The Latin

When once a colony of one nationality has been formed in a certain location it acts as a lode to draw arriving fellowcountrymen. Few emigrants leave foreign shores with the intention of forgetting their past, and a settlement where the old language may be spoken and old customs retained makes a persuasive appeal. Wisconsin was, for some reason, an early favorite of German investigators. Emigration societies that studied the question of location reported it as first in the matter of natural advantages, resources, and climate. Guide books and pamphlets distributed in Germany repeated the statements, while a pioneer of that day declared: "In New York, every hotel keeper and railroad agent, every one who was approached for advice, directed men to Wisconsin."'8 Nor were Germans the only element attracted to this northern State. Parties of Norwegians made Wisconsin their destination; and an Englishman who had walked from Upper Canada through Michigan and Indiana found it the most desirable territory he had seen.9

An added impetus to this movement was given in 1852 when the legislature provided for the appointment of a Commissioner of Immigration who was to reside in the city of New York and give the newcomers information regarding the advantages offered by Wisconsin. Though this was the only authorized State agency and it had to compete with the efforts of land agencies and the employment bureaus maintained by railroad contractors, it was, nevertheless, successful in inducing thousands of settlers to make Immigration in Illinois in Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society, 1909, p. 212.

8 Everest's How Wisconsin Came by its Large German Element in Wisconsin Historical Collections, Vol. XII, pp. 310, 318.

9 Flom's A History of Norwegian Immigration to the United States, p. 381; Quaife's An English Settler in Pioneer Wisconsin, p. 39, Wisconsin Historical Collections, Vol. XXV.

Wisconsin their destination. The office, however, was abolished by law in 1855.10 At a time when in many States there was growing opposition to the participation of recent immigrants in politics another inducement was offered by Wisconsin in the form of generous provisions regarding the elective franchise: the Constitution of 1848 extended the right to vote to foreign-born male residents who had declared their intention of becoming citizens and possessed the other prescribed qualifications.11

In the meantime what efforts did Iowa make to parallel these activities of her neighbor? None at all. The average native born pioneer possessed a deeply-rooted prejudice against foreigners. Open and frank, hospitable and friendly to all that met him half-way, the unavoidable clannishness of the foreigners repelled him immediately. Moreover, with a profound faith in the superiority of all American institutions he looked upon the outlandish garb, unknown tongue, strange religion, and peculiar customs of the alien settlers as dangerous characteristics which threatened to subvert the foundations of the government.12 Conse

10 Governor's Message and Documents (Wisconsin), 1854, Document C; Everest's How Wisconsin Came by its Large German Element in Wisconsin Historical Collections, Vol. XII, pp. 314, 319-321.

11 Poore's The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and other Organic Laws of the United States, Pt. II, p. 2030.

12 The testimony upon the attitude of the pioneers towards the foreigners is contradictory. Mr. Birkbeck says: "The most perfect cordiality prevails between the Americans of German, and those of English extraction, in every part of the United States, if the assertions of all with whom I have conversed on this interesting topic, are to be relied on. National antipathies are the result of bad political institutions; and not of human nature. Here, whatever their original whether English, Scottish, Irish, German, French-all are Americans. And of all the unfavourable imputations on the American character, jealousy of strangers is surely the most absurd and groundless."- Birkbeck's Notes on a Journey in America, from the Coast of Virginia to the Territory of Illinois, p. 74. On the other hand note the statements: "I can assure the emigrant, that his reception amongst the native Americans will not be very flattering."- Holmes's An Account of the United States of America, p. 146;

quently the Iowa Constitution of 1846, in contrast to the liberal suffrage provisions of the later Wisconsin document, limited the franchise to white, male citizens, and in the middle fifties the Know-Nothing Party ran its tumultuous course through the party politics in Iowa.13

Settlers, however, were desired. An increase in population meant more post-offices and schools, better roads, a larger market, and the speedy arrival of the eagerly-desired railroad. The New England and central States with their rapidly developing industrial plants could no longer be depended on as a prolific source of migration: immigrants could be secured only by attracting to the State a part of the incoming aliens. With the example of Wisconsin in mind, Governor Stephen Hempstead, in his first biennial message on December 7, 1852, urged the appointment of a "commissioner of emigration" to reside in New York and advertise the opportunities offered by Iowa, but the committee of the House of Representatives to which this recommendation was referred made an adverse report and no action was taken. Nothing daunted, the Governor repeated the suggestion two years later, but with no better success.14 "Even at the best, it is no very pleasant thing for the native American to reflect that the foreigner, upon the sole qualification of a five years' residence in the country, can avail himself of all the privileges which, by birth, he himself is entitled to; that, limited as the knowledge of this class of persons must necessarily be of everything which appertains to his country, they still have a voice just as potential as his own, and which too frequently he lays entirely at the mercy of."— The British Mechanic's and Labourer's Hand Book and True Guide to the United States, pp. 268, 269. Mr. Birkbeck's opinion was probably influenced by his desire to promote immigration to his proposed Illinois colony.

13 Poore's The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and other Organic Laws of the United States, Pt. I, p. 538. For the Know-Nothing activities in Iowa see Pelzer's The Origin and Organization of the Republican Party in Iowa in THE IOWA JOURNAL OF HISTORY AND POLITICS, Vol. IV, pp. 493-498.

14 Shambaugh's The Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa, Vol. I, pp. 430, 459, 460; Journal of the House of Representatives, 1852, p.

THE DUBUQUE EMIGRANT ASSOCIATION

During the latter part of the decade a second rival on the North was becoming formidable by reason of its attractions for immigrants. The Minnesota Constitution of 1857 was as generous in its suffrage provisions as that of Wisconsin, and in the early months of 1858 the State legislature of Minnesota provided for a loan of five million dollars to aid companies in the construction of railroads.15 These actions were noised abroad, and to citizens of eastern Iowa, the procession of immigrants steadily making northward with "Bound for Minnesota" painted upon the wagons, became an unpleasant sight. Northern Iowa was especially anxious to divert from its course part of this stream and on February 12, 1858, persons selected by the Board of Trade of Dubuque and representatives of many corporations of the city organized an Emigrant Association, the articles of incorporation stating that its purpose was the dissemination of reliable information regarding the advantages offered by Iowa to immigrants and the transaction of business as an agent for any companies or individuals interested in the selling, leasing, or buying of land.16

A travelling representative was appointed and descriptive literature was compiled, an appeal being made to the "brethren of the country press" that they publish in their papers "a full and reliable description of counties and towns, including the facts as to their assessed value, and that of the several towns named, population, timber, soil, streams, water power, mines, building material, &c., in each county; and also a description of the county seat, and of

15 Poore's The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and other Organic Laws of the United States, Pt. II, p. 1036; Folwell's The Five Million Loan in Minnesota Historical Collections, Vol. XV, p. 195.

16 See the letter of S. M. Langworthy in The Dubuque Weekly Times, April 28, 1858. For the organization of the society see The Dubuque Weekly Times, February 17, 24, 1858.