The 1800s saw the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in Europe
with the use of steam power to operate manufacturing plants. Agricultural
production did not share the same leap forward, because engine
power at the time was not very mobile. Rural areas were becoming
overcrowded and a need for expansion was born. The wide-open spaces
of America appeared to provide freedom and a chance to own land.
Many early immigrants traveled to the United States only to be
lured to Canada for the $10.00 "Homestead." Different language
groups settled in areas where their countrymen were already established,
resulting in many groups using the same trading area but retaining
their own language within a neighborhood. Overall, there was little
strife; homesteaders worked together in order to build a future
for new generations.