Background
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the early 19th century before spreading to Belgium, France, Germany, the United States and Japan. It was a fundamental change in the way goods were produced, and altered the way people lived. A result of the Industrial Revolution was a movement of people and goods all around the world as global trade and migrations increased.

Trade
A major result of the Industrial Revolution was an increase in global trade.  Many industrial countries sought new markets for their goods, and raw materials from which to make those goods.  A result of this increase in trade was imperialism of Africa, India, China, and much of the rest of Asia.  New methods of transportation, such as steamships, railroads, automobiles, and eventually airplanes made this trade much quicker and more reliable.

Migrations
Between 1845 and 1900, a wave of global migrations occurred as a result of improvements in transportation, population growth, and the various social, political, and economic conditions present throughout the world.  Many different European ethnic groups fled to the United States after the revolutions of 1830 and 1848, including Poles escaping the Russians, and Germans escaping an oppressive government.  Italians also emigrated to America in large numbers, many seeking the promise of better wages and living conditions.  Eastern European Jews fled to the west to escape Russian anti-Semitism.

Potato Famine
Ireland experienced a famine in 1845 when their main crop, potatoes, was destroyed by disease.  Irish farmers grew other food items, such as wheat and oats, but Great Britain required them to export those items to them, leaving nothing for the Irish to live on.  As a result, over 1 million Irish died of starvation or disease, while millions of others migrated to the United States.