Transatlantic migration
movement of people across the Atlantic Ocean
Transatlantic migration refers to the movement of people across the Atlantic Ocean in order to settle on the continents of North and South America. It usually refers to migrations after Christopher Columbus' voyage to the Americas in 1492. For earlier Transatlantic crossings, see: Norse colonization of North America and Theory of Phoenician discovery of the Americas.
16th to 18th century
The European colonization of the Americas—from 1836 to 1914, over 30 million Europeans migrated to the United States.
The Puritan migration to New England
The forced migration of Africans: See Slave trade and Atlantic slave trade
The Spanish colonization of the Americas
19th century onward
Among the various transatlantic migrations, the period between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century marks the “Age of Mass Migration,” during which 40% of U.S. population growth was due to immigrant inflows. Economic theory sought to explain whether immigrants were positively or negatively selected from the sending pool into the United States.
Ingrid Semmingsen in her book, Norway to America: a History of the Migration, wrote “Many have asked if it was the more capable, the more enterprising and energetic persons who left, or if it was those who fell behind in the struggle for bread, the losers, the maladjusted, and the deviant” in reference to the composition of those who migrated into the United States.
The Roy model of comparative advantage suggests that when skilled workers earn higher wages in one location, the most able will migrate to that country and earn that income. Moreover, if wages are higher for unskilled workers in one location, the least able will leave their own country to earn that income.
As a result of transportation improvements following the Industrial Revolution, long-distance migration increased in the 19th century.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Transatlantic migration” is movement of people across the Atlantic Ocean. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Transatlantic, migration and movement, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “movement of people across the Atlantic Ocean” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7833790. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1492, 1836 and 1914.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Transatlantic migration”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Transatlantic migration primary sources, Transatlantic migration archive and Transatlantic research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Transatlantic migration”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Transatlantic migration” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.