Massachusetts has long been a critical nexus of migration, reflecting broader trends in transatlantic and domestic population movements from the seventeenth century onward. Beginning with the early English settlers seeking religious freedom and continuing through successive waves of Irish, Italian, Portuguese, African American, and Latin American arrivals, each group has played a defining role in shaping the Commonwealth’s cultural, economic, and political life. This diversity is also evident in more recent migrations from Asia and Africa, driven by educational opportunities, family reunification, or refuge from conflict.
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List of Massachusetts historic migration routes
| Time Period | Ethnic Group | Origination Location | Arrival Location | Motivating Factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1620–1640 | English (Pilgrims and Puritans) | England | Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony | Seeking religious freedom (escape from religious persecution), economic opportunity |
| Mid-1600s–1700s | Other English settlers (including dissenting sects) | England | Towns throughout the Massachusetts Colony | Expanding colonial settlements, pursuit of land ownership, freedom from stricter policies in England |
| 1700s–Early 1800s | Enslaved Africans | West Africa (via the Atlantic slave trade) | Coastal Massachusetts (e.g., Boston, Salem, New Bedford) | Forced migration through the transatlantic slave trade, agricultural and domestic labor demand |
| Early 1800s–Mid-1800s | Irish (pre-Famine) | Ireland | Boston and surrounding areas | Economic hardship, rural poverty, searching for better employment opportunities |
| 1840s–1860s (especially after 1845) | Irish (Famine immigrants) | Ireland (Great Famine) | Boston and urban centers | Fleeing famine and political upheaval, seeking factory and infrastructure work |
| 1860s–Early 1900s | French Canadians | Quebec and the Maritimes, Canada | Industrial cities (e.g., Lowell, Fall River, Lawrence) | Employment in textile mills and factories, economic opportunity, chain migration |
| Late 1800s–Early 1900s | Italians | Southern Italy | Boston’s North End, East Boston, and other urban areas | Escaping poverty, political unrest, seeking industrial and construction jobs |
| Late 1800s–Early 1900s | Portuguese (including Azoreans, Madeirans, Cape Verdeans) | Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde | Southeastern Massachusetts (e.g., Fall River, New Bedford), Boston | Fishing and whaling industries, textile mills, chain migration |
| Late 1800s–Early 1900s | Polish, Russian, and other Eastern European Jews | Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia, Lithuania) | Boston’s North End, Roxbury, Chelsea, other neighborhoods | Escaping pogroms and religious persecution, seeking factory jobs and commercial opportunities |
| Early–Mid 1900s | Greek | Greece | Urban centers (e.g., Boston, Springfield) | Economic opportunity, escaping war and poverty, chain migration |
| 1910s–1970s (First and Second Great Migration) | African Americans | Southern United States | Boston, Springfield, other cities | Escaping Jim Crow segregation, seeking industrial jobs and political freedoms |
| Mid–Late 20th Century | Puerto Ricans | Puerto Rico | Boston, Springfield, Lawrence | Economic opportunity, better education and healthcare, internal US migration |
| Late 20th Century–Present | Dominicans | Dominican Republic | Boston (e.g., Jamaica Plain, Roxbury) and Lawrence | Economic opportunities, family reunification, chain migration |
| Late 20th Century–Present | Central Americans (e.g., Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Hondurans) | Central America | Boston, Chelsea, Somerville, Lynn | Escaping civil unrest, violence, and seeking jobs, family reunification |
| Late 20th Century–Present | Brazilians | Brazil | Framingham, Somerville, Everett, other suburbs | Economic opportunity, established social networks, family reunification |
| Late 20th Century–Present | Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Asian groups | East Asia, Southeast Asia | Greater Boston area and university towns | Educational opportunities, family reunification, high-tech job market |
| Late 20th Century–Present | Africans (e.g., Cape Verdeans,[1] Nigerians, Ethiopians, Somalis) | Various African nations | Boston, Brockton, Lowell, Lynn | Refuge from conflict, economic opportunity, established diaspora communities |
