Irish Americans

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Irish Americans

• By
• Larissa, Allie, Nikki, Katie

2
Irelands Geography

• Ireland is located in Far Western Europe in the
  North Atlantic Ocean
• Irelands greatest length- 485 km (302 miles)
• Widest Point- 304 km (189 miles)
• There is 5, 361 km (3, 500 miles) of coastline

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Geography Continued

• Across the South, West, Northwest and East are
  mountain ranges.
• The South-Sandstone Mountains of Cork and Kerry.
• The West and Northwest- Granite Mountains and sea
  cliffs which stretch along the coast.
• The Northeast- plateaus
• In the center of the country, there is rolling
  countryside

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Irelands Climate

• Spring and Autumn Temperatures
• Averages 50 degrees Fahrenheit
• Summer Temperatures
• Ranges from 60 -70 degrees Fahrenheit
• Winter Temperatures
• Ranges from 40-46 degrees Fahrenheit
• Average Rainfall- 40 inches a year

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People

• Population- 3,294,140 people
• Age Structure
• 0-14 years 21.2 (male 427,017 female 404,191)
• 15-64 years 67.4 (male 1,322,982 female
  1,322,429)
• 65 years and over 11.4 (male 194,724 female
  252,797)
• Language Spoken
• Irish (Gaelic-along western seaboard)
• English is mainly used
• Religion
• Roman Catholic- 90
• Protestant group-10
• Church of Ireland (Anglican)
• Presbyterian and Methodist religions

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THE HISTORYOFIRISH IMMIGRATION
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Major Time Periods

• The Prefamine Period- years before 1845
• The Famine Period- years 1845-1855
• The Postfamine Period- years 1855 to the present

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The Prefamine Period
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Reasons for Immigration

• The religious persecution of the Catholics in
  Ireland
• The restriction of Irish economic development
• The presence of industrialization

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How they got here, Who came to the U.S. and What
jobs did they do?

• American ships carried raw materials to England
  and on the return trip, brought back emigrants
  from Ireland.
• The immigrants were mostly Catholic males.
• They were farmers, laborers, and military and
  religious protestors.
• They worked to dig the Erie Canal in New York and
  worked on railways, streets, and sewers.
• They worked as carpenters and as blacksmiths.

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Where did they live?

• The immigrants, during the prefamine period,
  settled mostly in the northeast.
• Major ports of entry were Philadelphia, New York
  City, and Boston.

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FACT

• By 1840, the Irish made up nearly half of all
  entering immigrants.

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The Famine Period
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Reason for Immigration and How they got to the
U.S.

• The Potato Famine
• The Irish crowded onto ships
• called coffin ships.

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Who came to the U.S. and What jobs did they do?

• Mostly Irish families rather than single people
  came to the U.S. in the famine period.
• Jobs were hard to find. However, clearing
  forests in Michigan and digging gold in
  California were popular jobs.

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Where did they live?

• During the famine period, the Irish settled in
  Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and New Orleans.
• Some immigrants moved out west.

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Facts

• The famine period was the period in time in which
  the MOST Irish immigrated to the United States at
  one specific time.
• About one and a half million Irish came to the
  United States in the famine period.

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The Postfamine Period
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Reasons for Immigration

• Failing economic conditions
• Increased political domination

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Who came to the U.S., What jobs did they do, and
Where did they settle?

• During the postfamine period, more single females
  came than males or families.
• They became religious sisters, secretaries,
  nurses, and store clerks.
• They settled all over the United States.

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FACTS

• After 1860, more than 2.6 million Irish came to
  the United States.
• From 1880 to 1910, the ratio of males to females
  immigrating to the U.S. was .98 to 1.
• By 1910, Irish women made up about a quarter of
  teachers working in public schools in American
  cities.

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Culture in U.S.
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Food and Drink

• Agriculture is a vital part of the economy
• Breakfast is a huge meal
• Consists of eggs, rashers (bacon), bangers
  (sausage), baked fresh tomatoes, fresh mushrooms,
  white pudding, black pudding, fresh fruit, brown
  bread, or toast, or scones
• Juice or coffee
• Lunch- soups and sandwiches are popular
• Dinner is the largest meal
• Lamb is used in many recipes
• Irish Stew
• Roast Leg of Lamb
• Beef is the traditional Sunday roast
• Potatoes are important part of diet
• For dessert-
• homemade Soda Bread
• Brown Bread
• Home-brewed beverages, such as tea is popular
• Beer, whiskey, and cider are important drinks to
  the Irish

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St. Patricks Day

• Celebrated on March 17th
• Not an official holiday in U.S.
• In Ireland religious holiday
• It is the day that people honor the man who
  brought the Roman Catholic religion to Ireland
• Green is of Irish tradition
• many people wear clothing of green, color their
  hair green, and restaurants add green food
  coloring to beer on this holiday
• Famous meal is corn-beef, cabbage, and potatoes
• Parades and Celebrations are common
• New York Citys parade is the biggest
• Hundreds of thousands of people march for eight
  kilometers along Fifth Avenue.
• Millions of others gather along the street to
  watch

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Wedding Traditions

• Claddagh rings
• shaped as a heart, held by two hands with a crown
• The heart reflects love, the hands reflect
  faith, and the crown reflects honor
• right hand with heart facing fingernail single
• left hand with the heart facing fingernail not
  married, but taken
• left hand with crown facing fingernailmarriage
• Wedding Dress
• traditional blue dress, signifying luck.
• Recently, Irish brides tend to wear off-white
• Hair
• Braided hair because this is considered a sacred
  way to keep feminine power and luck

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Christmas Traditions

• Candle in the Window on Christmas Eve
• It is a symbol to welcome Mary and Joseph as they
  traveled looking for shelter
• Candle is lit by the youngest member of the
  family
• Holly on Doors
• Considered bad luck if taken down before January
  6th (Little Christmas)
• Irish Ornaments
• shamrocks, pigs, leprechauns and bright emerald
  green glass ornaments with Irish messages on them
  
• Irish Christmas Meals
• Spiced beef (traditional)
• turkey, ham, stuffing, and many vegetables
• Dessert- mince pies, Christmas pudding, and
  brandy or rum sauce

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Irish in Politics
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As soon as Irish came to America they jumped into
politics

• Was an opportunity that they did not have in
  Ireland
• Was a job for a self made man
• Gave them an advantage, control in a new land
• -Need job and security

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The Irish mostly became democrats

• When first came the Federalists (Whigs) did not
  like them
• -Saw them as wild and rude people
• -Threat to their power
• Passed Acts such as Naturalization, Alien and
  Sedition Acts
• -First charged was Matthew Lyon

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One of first Irishman in politics is a man named
Michael Walsh

• Ran for congressman as democrat against the Whigs
• -Cut to the point, rough, and sarcastic
• Spartan band
• -Gain votes and support
• 1851 won a seat in congress
• 1859 died

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Political machines

• Machines had a citywide leader called a boss
• Next in power were the precinct captains
• -Put in power by the boss
• -Usually was a patronage job
• -They were assigned zones (neighborhoods), they
  were responsible for getting the vote for their
  boss

• Most Irishmen in politics worked at the local
  level of government
• would form political machines
• 2 advantages over other immigrants
• -Already knew English language
• -Familiar with American culture

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Political Machines continued

• Last there was the public who supports the
  machines
• -Usually the machines supplied some kind of
  service to the people in return for their
  support
• -Before welfare was popular would help out
  the poor
• -Provided immigrants with social services and
  jobs in return for their votes

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Mayor Richard J. Daley

• The last well-known political machine leader in
  power
• The first Chicago Mayor to be elected for four
  consecutive four-year terms
• Known for the political machine to have aided in
  electing John F. Kennedy in 1960
• known for being extremely tolerant of corruption
• Daley relayed heavily on his precinct captain
• suprisingly honest for a machine leader
• -perosnal honesty was never successfully
  questioned

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THE END