this period to constitute the majority of the common laborers and mill operatives.(1).

Results of Immigration. The composition of the population was profoundly affected by immigration during the period of the Irish immigration. The accompanying table (page 32) shows the composition of the population of Massachusetts in 1850 and the changes which took place in the fifteen years following. We see therefrom that the foreign-born population of the state had almost exactly doubled--being 164,448 in 1850, and 328,256 in 1865; While the native-born population increased from 830,066 to 938,755; the Irish increased from 115,917 to

the

183,177; English, from 16,685 to 25,229; and the British Americans, 15,862 to 32,390. The foreign element in 1840 formed 4.7% of the total population, in 1850 16.5%, and in 1865 25.9%

In estimating the foreign element, the number of native-born persons with foreign parentage must be considered, since a part of these really went to

(1) Massachusetts Public Documents (1866),

no. 17, p.26.

and Native

1850

1855

Foreign-born Population of Massachusetts, 1850-1865(.1). 1860 1865 830,066 887,684 970,960 938,755

Native

Foreign 164,448 244,685 260,106 328,256
Ireland 115,917 181,304 185,434 183,177
England 16,685 23,987 23,848 25,229

Scotland 4,469 6,734 6,855 6,967

British 15,862 21,707 27,069 32,390
America

Germany 4,493 9,672 10,350 11,125
France
805 1,143 1,280 1,110

(1) Seventh Census Report, p.53; Mass. Census, 1865, pp.50-65, 293; EighthCensus Report, xxix, p.227.

increase the foreign element. In 1865 there were, it was estimated, 100,000 native-born inhabitants in Massachusetts belonging to this class (1). The tables following indicate that these native-born inhabitants with foreign parents were rapidly increasing in number.

These statistics show also that intermarriage between the native- and foreign-born population was not frequent, and that assimilation of the foreign element in this respect was not making marked

progress.

The influnce of immigration upon the social conditions was suggested in the early period of immigration. The remarkably rapid increase in the foreign population naturally augmented these effects.

In 1851 the Boston Lunatic Hospital was almost entirely filled with foreign insane (2). Prior to the year 1862 insane patients to the number of 2048 had been admitted to the Lunatic Hospital at Northbridge. Of these 762 were Irish-born, 54 English,

Massachusetts Public Document (1866), No.17,p.23. 2) The Spy, January 18, 1851.