Final answer:
The first major wave of immigration to the United States occurred between the end of the American Revolution and 1850. Irish immigrants came to the US to escape the Great Famine in Ireland and seek better economic opportunities. German immigrants came for economic opportunity and to escape political unrest, settling in the Midwest.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first major wave of immigration to the United States occurred between the end of the American Revolution and 1850. During this time, millions of Irish and German immigrants came to the country. Irish immigrants tended to stay in the northeast coast port cities, while most Germans moved to the Midwest to settle.
The Irish came to the United States primarily due to the Great Famine that occurred in Ireland between 1845 and 1852. This famine caused a severe shortage of food, leading to widespread poverty and death. Many Irish immigrants arrived in the United States seeking better economic opportunities and relief from the famine.
On the other hand, German immigrants came to the United States for both economic opportunity and to escape political unrest and military conscription, especially after the Revolutions of 1848. Many Germans of this period were political refugees who wanted to escape an oppressive government. They were well-off enough to make their way inland and settle in the Midwest, where they formed heavily German enclaves.