Model Lessons and Historical Background

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Model Lessons and Historical Background
THE IRISH BRIGADES
Who Never Retreated From The Clash OF Spears
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Anti-Irish Cartoons (Circa 1850)
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Thomas Nast Portrays the Irish
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Origins of the Nativists/Know Nothings
Taxes Government costs will rise due to the
influx of immigrants on the tax and social
welfare systems. Language Immigrants stick to
themselves in their own communities and do not
learn English. Jobs Take jobs from citizens.
Nationalism Hold allegiance to their country of
origin, not the United States. Ethnicity Will
overpopulate and replace the home culture with
their own. Crime Newcomers form violent gangs
and engage in illegal activities like drugs or
prostitution.
Religion 1830s - Tales of sexual slavery and
infanticide in convents prompted the burning of a
convent in Mass., setting off nearly two decades
of violence against Catholics. Anti-Catholic
riots were largely centered in the major urban
centers of the country and led to the creation of
the nativist Know-Nothing Party in 1854, whose
platform included a straightforward condemnation
of the Catholic Church.
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In this 1850s cartoon, armed "Know-Nothings"
blast into Baltimore in support of their
candidate, Thomas Swann. He represented the
American Party's anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant
platform. Voter intimidation was not uncommon.
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Did the Irish serve in the military as a method
of proving their inclusive worthiness to this
nation?

• A variety of interests
• Assimilation into the mainstream of American
  Society? Majority White/Protestant/Middle Class.
• Prove their loyalty to America.
• Making America a place of safety for future
  Irish immigrants.
• Pay
• To develop military skills that they would
  bring back to Ireland to help promulgate a
  revolution with Britain

Anti-Irish and anti-Catholic prejudice was
evident throughout the nineteenth century,
showing that the New York Irish did not gain
respect do to their participation in the military
during the Civil War. Any advancement made in
society was due to the Irish becoming politically
active, their entering the Democratic Party, and
their loyalty to the Catholic Church.
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Approximately 185,000 Irish-American immigrants
fought on both sides of the American Civil War.
Roughly 40,000 for the South
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The Irish Brigade (Infantry) The Fighting 69th
War Cry faugh a ballagh Clear the Way!
Served two Union purposes 1) Britain appeared
to be favoring the Confederacy or coming in on
the side of the South. There could be
Union-supported consequences in Ireland if
Britain intervened (most of the brigade's
membership were known Irish revolutionaries), 2)
It served to solidify Irish support for the
union. The Irish were naturally predisposed to
support the Confederacy due to their sympathy
with the struggle for independence. They also
didn't want a flood of freed slaves to migrate
north and compete for the lowly jobs for which
they already had to scrabble.
Wave the bloody shirt!
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A brigade is a military unit that is typically
composed of two to five regiments or battalions
1861 - The 69th and 88th regiments were organized
in New York
Throughout its life in the Army of the Potomac,
the Irish Brigade was almost always at the
foremost position and suffered high casualties as
a result
Fredericksburg
Antietem
Gettysburg