Final answer:
The urban growth in the early United States was significantly influenced by the emigration of Europeans and the migration of Southern rural blacks and whites to the northern and Midwest urban areas, contributing to the country's industrial growth and shaping its urban landscape.
Step-by-step explanation:
A significant factor to early urban growth in the United States was indeed the emigration of Europeans and the internal migration of Southern rural blacks and whites to northern and Midwest urban areas. The rapid urbanization during the Industrial Era brought about a major shift in population from rural to urban areas. Opportunities for work in newly established factories and industries enticed workers, including newly arrived immigrants and migrants from the Southern States, to move to the cities for better wages and living conditions.
Following the Civil War, there was a pronounced wave of African Americans leaving the discriminatory environment of the rural South in what became known as the Great Migration. Cities in the Northeast and Midwest such as New York, Chicago, and Detroit were prominent destinations. This migration, coupled with the arrival of immigrants primarily from southern and eastern Europe, who were also in search of employment and who often settled in the urban centers where they first arrived, significantly contributed to the expansion and diversification of urban America.
The influx of immigrants was not without challenges, as they faced discrimination and anti-immigration legislation. However, despite these difficulties, they played a crucial role in shaping the urban landscapes of the United States, and their labor was instrumental in the country's industrial growth. Hence, migration and immigration were pivotal in transforming the United States' urban landscape during this era.