> the country was also a lot poorer back then. So was the rest of the world, especially for those not in power. > U.S. still attracted plenty of "dirt-poor an

> the country was also a lot poorer back then. So was the rest of the world, especially for those not in power. > U.S. still attracted plenty of "dirt-poor and ugly" immigrants from all over the Western world True, but also many folks' options weren't exactly great in comparison. > Can't really say the same about "big-government" countries at a similar level of wealth today. Germany, the Scandinavian countries for instance is an often-desired place for immigrants. The US is still a very desirable place for immigrants, even though the size of the government has grown.