Irish Americans

1
Irish Americans
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History

• To understand the reasons why millions of Irish
  people emigrated to America, we must know the
  "push and pull" factors, starting from the
  situation of Ireland before the Great Famine.
  Unfortunately these factors will appears as a
  chain of causes and consequences, that could have
  been stopped at any point, but no one made effort
  to stop. Irish emigration wasn't restricted to
  the famine years of 1845 to 1850, but it did take
  a dramatically sharp rise during this period.
  People had been leaving from the 1700's on, in
  search of a better life,but we will concentrate
  on the period of the Great Starvation because the
  greatest Irish emigration was recorded in that
  period.

3
Continued

• To understand the Great Famine, one must focus on
  the expanding Irish population of the early
  1800s and the growing dependency on a single
  crop -- the potato. The famine lasted for five
  years (one must understand the politics, cultures
  and economics of the time) since full crop
  failures did not occur every year between 1850
  and 1900. In fact, while the potato blight
  provided the catalysts for the famine, the real
  calamity was essentially man-made. A poison of
  blind politics, scientific ignorance, rural
  suppression and enforced poverty, not only
  religious matters and prejudices against the poor
  Irish Catholics, were key elements that led to
  the catastrophe.
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4
Reality VS Dream

• The Irish people set out for America to escape
  British mercantilism, economic recession,
  increasing violence of terrorists groups, and the
  Great Famine. Most Irish people entering the
  United States between 1818-1870 came as refugees
  from disaster they were running away from misery
  and death rather than rushing towards freedom and
  opportunity.

• Nevertheless, they had put great hope for their
  new life. But their dreams were disillusioned as
  soon as they set foot on the ship which was
  supposed to bring them to America. Living
  Conditions on these ships, often referred to as
  "Coffin Ships," were so horrible that for the
  first time doubts arose whether their new life
  would be better than the old.

5
Irish Discrimination

• On arrival in America, the Irish people
  encountered new struggles. The American people
  had kept old prejudices alive and these included
  prejudices against the Irish. These stemmed from
  pre-existing sentiments about Catholicism and the
  Irish people, especially among the English. Not
  considered good enough for proper housing, they
  were forced to cling together in shanty towns,
  unable to find work because of the phrase, NO
  IRISH NEED APPLY in employment advertisements
  and the sign NO SALESMEN, NO IRISH could be
  found on doors of private homes as well as shops
  and other establishments. Poverty was not the
  only factor forcing the Irish to stay in the
  slums, shanties and cellars they were also
  considered bad for the neighborhood as they were
  unfamiliar with the conveniences of plumbing and
  running water. Their living conditions bred
  disease and ultimately death with an estimated
  80 of infants born to Irish immigrants in New
  York City dying.
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