To The West, with words by Charles Mackay

Charles Mackay

Charles Mackay was a Scottish poet, journalist, and song writer.-Life:Charles Mackay was born in Perth, Scotland. His father was by turns a naval officer and a foot soldier; his mother died shortly after his birth. Charles was educated at the Caledonian Asylum, London, and at Brussels, but spent...

 and music by Henry Russell

Henry Russell (musician)

Henry Russell was an English pianist, baritone singer and composer, born into a distinguished Jewish family.-Biography:...

, was one of the most popular songs of the mid-nineteenth century in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

Of the song Russell boasted at the time that it created such a furore at the time of the mass emigrations of the 1840s that it "induced many thousands of people to turn attention to the promises held out by the New World."