CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
THE ORIGINAL MAKE—UP OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 3 Traits of the Puritan stock—Elements in the peopling of Virginia—The indentured servants and convicts— Purification by free land—The Huguenots—The Germans —The Scotch—Irish—Ruling motives in the peopling of the New World—Selective agencies—The toll of the sea—The sifting by the wilderness—The impress of the frontier— How an American Breed arose—Its traits.
CHAPTER II
THE CELTIC IRISH The great lull—The Hibernian tide—Why it has run low —Effects on Ireland—Irish—Americans in the struggle for existence—Their improvidence and unthrift—Why they lacked the economic virtues—Drink their worst foe— Their small criminality—Loyalty to wife and child— Their occupational preferences—Their rapid rise— Their rank in intellectual contribution—Celtic traits— Place of the Irish in American society.
CHAPTER III
THE GERMANS Volume and causes of the German freshet—Why it has ceased—Distribution of the Germans in America— Deutschtum vs. assimilation—The "Forty—eighters"— Influence of the Germans on our farming, on our drinking, on our attitude toward recreation—Political tendencies of German voters—The Germans as pathbreakers for intellectual liberty—Their success in the struggle for existence—Moderation in alcoholism and in crime— Preferred occupations—Teutonic traits—Effect of the German infusion on the temper of the American people.
CHAPTER IV
THE SCANDINAVIANS The size of the Scandinavian wave—Distribution of this element in the United States—Social characteristics— Crime and alcoholism—Occupational choices—Readiness of assimilation—Reaction to America—National contrasts among Scandinavians—Intellectual rating—Race traits—Moral and political significance of the Scandinavians.
