In South America, Christopher Columbus created Spanish colonies in 1492.
The English and French established colonies in North America. The English established Jamestown in Virginia in 1607. In the late 1600s the French established colonies on the gulf coast and in the north in what is now Canada. During the colonial period and after the revolutionary war, most of the immigrants were from the United Kingdom (English, Scottish, Irish) and a few were French Huguenots. A lot of African slaves were brought over during this time period as well.
Figures for the colonial period are imprecise, but by the time of the first census of 1790 nearly 1 million Afro-Americans and 4 million Europeans resided in the United States. The European population originated from three major streams: English and Welsh, Scotch-Irish, and German.
After 1820, the data became exact enough to document the volume of immigration more reliably. From 1820 to 1975 some 47 million people came to the United States: 8.3 million from other countries in the Western Hemisphere, 2.2 million from Asia, and 35.9 million from Europe. The stream was relatively continuous from 1820 to 1924 with only brief interruptions caused by the Civil War and occasional periods of economic downturns
To read more: http://www.history.com/topics/united-states-immigration-to-1965
Ellis Island and Modern Immigration
Ellis Island opened in 1892 as a federal immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years (it closed in 1954). Millions of newly arrived immigrants passed through the station during that time--in fact, it has been estimated that close to 40 percent of all current U.S. citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors to Ellis Island. As arrivals from northern and western Europe--Germany, Ireland, Britain and the Scandinavian countries--slowed, more and more immigrants poured in from southern and eastern Europe. 
To read more: http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-island
A few links to videos about Ellis Island:
http://www.history.com/videos/arrival-at-ellis-island
http://www.history.com/videos/immigrants-detained-at-ellis-island
The American Dream
"The American Dream" is the idea in American society that anyone (especially immigrants) can become successful if they just work hard enough. Stereotypically, that success means owning a home and a car.
“As a people, we Americans are unique in having such a thing, a more or less Official National Dream. (There is no correspondingly stirring Canadian Dream or Slovakian Dream.) It is part of our charter—as articulated in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence, in the famous bit about “certain unalienable Rights” that include “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”—and it is what makes our country and our way of life attractive and magnetic to people in other lands.”
- David Kamp
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/04/american-dream200904
The American Dream is an appealing concept, but often people say it is a myth or not true for certain parts of American society, such as for black people or very, very poor people.
