Why did the Welsh come to America?

Answer 1

Large numbers of Welsh natives left Wales during the Nineteenth Century to help found the North American Steel Industry. Wales had been one of the first regions in the world to experience industrial production of steel, so when the industry began in North America (particularly in the Philadelphia region) welsh engineers had the skills and experience to make a lot of money in the new country.

(There was a welsh-language newspaper Y Drych still publishing in Philadelphia in the 1960's. I don't know what has become of it since).

There was also a colonisation venture from Wales. A group of dissenters from north Wales chartered a ship - the Mimosa - and settled at the southern tip of Argentina to found Y Wladfa (the Colony), where Welsh is still spoken today.

Answer 2

The Welsh came like any other group seeking the opportunities that lie in america.