In the late 1800s, people suffering from crop failure, land and job shortages, rising taxes, political and religious persecution and famine decided to migrate to the U.S. because they believed it was the land of economic opportunity. Nearly 12 million immigrants who were from Germany, Ireland, and England in the majority of the cases, arrived in the U.S. between 1870 and 1900. Many employers took advantage of these immigrants who were usually paid less than American workers. Besdies, they were discriminated and experienced verbal and physical abuse.