Of all the features of this historic movement of the Jews from Eastern Europe to the United States, not the least interesting is their passing from civilizations whose bonds with their medieval past are still strong to a civilization which began its course unhampered by tradition and unyoked to the forms and institutions of the past. The contrast between the broad freedom of this democracy and the intolerable despotism from whose yoke most of them fled, has given them a sense of appreciation of American political and social institutions that is felt in every movement of their mental life. FOOTNOTES: [140] So strongly was this the case that the Immigration Commission in discussing these characteristics was compelled to separate the Jewish from the "new" immigration, in order to bring out the essential differences of the latter from the "old" immigration. STATISTICAL TABLES TABLE IA PARTICIPATION OF JEWS IN OCCUPATIONS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE, 1897[1] ------------------------+----------+----------+------------------- Group of occupation | Total | Jews | Per cent of total ------------------------+----------+----------+------------------- Agricultural pursuits | 18245287 | 40611 | .2 Professional service | 988813 | 71950 | 7.5 Personal service[2] | 5150012 | 277466 | 5.4 Manufacturing and | | | mechanical pursuits | 5169919 | 542563 | 10.5 Transportation | 714745 | 45944 | 6.4 Commerce[2] | 1256330 | 452193 | 36.0 ------------------------+----------+----------+------------------- Total | 31525106 | 1430727 | 4.5 ------------------------+----------+----------+------------------- [1] Compiled from Rubinow, p. 500. [2] _Cf._ Rubinow, note, p. 500. TABLE IB PARTICIPATION OF JEWS IN OCCUPATIONS IN THE PALE OF JEWISH SETTLEMENT, 1897[1] -----------------------+----------+----------+------------------ Group of occupation | Total | Jews |Per cent of total -----------------------+----------+----------+------------------ Agricultural pursuits | 6071413 | 38538 | .6 Professional service | 317710 | 67238 | 21.1 Personal service[2] | 2139981 | 250078 | 11.6 Manufacturing and | | | mechanical pursuits | 1573519 | 504844 | 32.1 Transportation | 211983 | 44177 | 20.8 Commerce[2] | 556086 | 426628 | 76.7 -----------------------+----------+----------+------------------ Total | 10870692 | 1331503 | 12.2 -----------------------+----------+----------+------------------ [1] Compiled from Rubinow, p. 501. [2] _Cf._ Rubinow, note, p. 500. TABLE II JEWISH IMMIGRATION AT THE PORTS OF NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA AND BALTIMORE, JULY TO JUNE, 1886 to 1898[1]