Although orphans were sent everywhere across North America, the main destinations for these children were in the Midwest, in states like Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois. However, a surprising number of children went on a very short journey to states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This tracks perfectly because many Midwest states had fertile soil which was perfect for farmers, who needed more children to help them tend the land. This also makes sense for Pennsylvania, which has always had a strong agricultural sector.

Going back to the literature review, I emphasized the high population density and overcrowding in New York, which greatly contributed to the rates of poverty and homelessness, which caused the need for the orphan train movement. This is shown by the social explorer maps below, which highlight the population density of New York City in 1880, 1890, 1900, and 1910. These maps indicate a mostly continuous increase in population density over the years, which emphasized the need to lower the population by sending homeless children out west.

In addition to the high population density in the city, there was also a significant foreign-born population. This is very relevant because many of the children sent west on orphan trains were the children of immigrants who had fallen down on their luck and been unable to find jobs in the city. This is demonstrated by the social explorer maps below, which show the foreign-born population in New York in 1880, 1890, 1900, and 1910. These maps indicate a continuous increase in foreign-born population over the years, showing how many immigrants were coming into the city and contributing to the overcrowding issues.

My StoryMap details the life stories of two orphan train riders, which I found using data on ancestry.

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