The Irish

1
The Irish

• Emigrants from Erin

2
The Irish Where did they come from?

• British Oppression
• the British Market
• Irelands oppressors soon must know, they cant
  forever last,
• Landlords been cruel for generations past,
• What right have they to claim the soil which
  never was their own,
• When thousands now are starving and evicted from
  their home?
• Poverty
• Extremely poor tenantsliving in the most sordid
  wretchedness, in dirty Hovels of Mud and Straw,
  and cloatheed only in Rags Benjamin Franklin,
  1771

3
The Irish Why did they come

• 1815-1902 5 ½ Million Immigrants from Ireland
• The Potato Famine
• Many had tried to stay
• 40 of the potato crop destroyed
• By 1855, approx. 1 million people had died from
  hunger and sickness

4
The Irish The immigrants

• Generally poor and unskilled
• Laborers
• Young- under 30 years old
• Strong in culture and language

5
Q Where did they Settle?A The Land of
Promise
6
Americas Allure
1 million

• Dear Family Riches grow like grassabsence of
  tyranny and oppression. (Takaki, 143)
• The Market Revolutions demand for labor.
• Mines in Penn, Waterways, Millwork and
  Manufacturing in New England, R x R out West
• Labor Opportunities for Women
• Domestic service in NYC and California (Paid
  8-16 dollars a month could be rich within 10
  yrs)
• Growing Political Clout
• As white and English-speaking, Irish suffrage
  heavily influenced politics of Boston, NYC, San
  Fran.

1815
1845
Irish Women
Total Garment Workers (1900)
John Kelly
William Grace
7
Journey to America

• HomegtgtDublingtgtLiverpoolgtgtEllis Island, Philly
• Sad was the day we said farewell,
• Dear native land, to thee
• And wandrd forth to find a home
• Beyond the stormy sea.
• Hard then our fate fast flowed the tears,
• We tried to hide in vain,
• At thought of those we left behind,
• And might neer see again (Takaki, 145)

8
Crossin the Briny Ocean
9
Types of Work

• Construction
• Roads, canals, railroads
• People admired their work
• Treatment was poor

10
Types of Work, cont.

• Hazardous jobs
• Irish employed with high death rates
• Easy to replace
• In the South, given jobs too dirty or hazardous
  to assign to slaves
• Jobs for Women
• Maidservants
• Lower end of servant hierarchy
• Forced separation from employers caused mental
  toll

11
Treatment

• Image of Irish in society
• Apelike, savages
• Considered to have same intelligence as blacks
• Slaves of passions- lower rather than higher
  pleasures

12
Assimilation

• At first arrival white Protestants compared them
  to blacks
• The Irish were thought to be naturally stupid,
  subservient, flatterers, liars, and thieves.
• In order to elevate themselves above the blacks,
  they defined themselves in terms of their
  whiteness.
• Irish assimilated into American culture at the
  expense of blacks.

13
Assimilation, cont.

• More economic mobility in cities
• Initially competed with blacks in the North for
  the lowest-paying jobs
• The men competed for jobs as waiters,
  longshoremen, and coal miners
• The women for jobs as domestic servants and
  factory workers.
• Children of Irish immigrants climbed the social
  ladder to become teachers, secretaries, and
  nurses.
• They enrolled in elite universities and
  eventually were accepted because they
• a) spoke English
• b) were white, and
• c) were Christian.

14
Assimilation, cont.

• The Irish were deemed more culturally similar to
  white Protestants than Jews, Chinese, or blacks.
• The Irish quickly became citizens and voted.
• Dominated the political life of major cities
  through political machines.

15
The Irish Experience

• The Irish unionized and became powerful union
  leaders.
• The Chinese were used as scabs to break up
  strikes by Irish workers.
• The Irish opposed the abolition of slavery
  because they worried that if slaves were freed,
  then they would have to compete with them for
  jobs.
• In 1863, the Draft Riots ensued over an unfair
  law that exempted the wealthy from military
  service if they paid 300.
• Many Irish attacked blacks, because they resented
  being called to military service in part to free
  the slaves, whom they thought would then move to
  the North and compete with the Irish for jobs.

16
The Irish Experience

• As much as the Irish wanted to be a part of
  American society, they did not want to lose their
  Irish identity
• Time may roll oer me its circles uncheering,
• Columbias proud forests around me shall wave,
• But the exile shall never forget thee, loved
  Eire,
• Till, unmourned, he sleep in a far, foreign
  grave,
• A far, foreign grave. (p. 165)

http//www.ireland-information.com/downloads/midi/
anemigrantsdaughter.mid
17
An Emigrants Daughter

• Oh please ne'er forget me though waves now lie
  o'er me
• I was once young and pretty and my spirit ran
  free
• But destiny tore me from country and loved ones
• And from the new land I was never to see.
• A poor emigrant's daughter too frightened to know
• I was leaving forever the land of my soul
• Amid struggle and fear my parents did pray
• To place courage to leave o'er the longing to
  stay.
• They spoke of a new land far away 'cross the sea
• And of peace and good fortune for my brothers and
  me
• So we parted from town land with much weeping and
  pain
• 'Kissed the loved ones and the friends we would
  ne'er see again.
• The vessel was crowded with disquieted folk
• The escape from past hardship sustaining their
  hope
• But as the last glimpse of Ireland faded into the
  mist
• Each one fought back tears and felt strangely
  alone.
• The seas roared in anger, making desperate our
  plight
• And a fever came o'er me that worsened next night