Irish Emigration to New York City
The Potato Famine - How, Why, and When the Famine Started
Many historians equate the Irish immigration to America with the potato famine of the 1840s, but is is clear that a considerable number of Irish had made their way to Great Britain’s colonies on the North American mainland before 1800. For example, many Irish families came and settled the colonies in the early 1600s. Harbors and towns were named after settlers. Some of these settlers even became Royal governors; one example is Sir Thomas Dongan, who became governor of the colony of New York in 1682. Some other examples of early settlers: in 1670, Charleston, South Carolina was settled by Irish and English emigrants. Sullivan's Island
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Irish farmers were allowed only to raise a small crop of pototoes, turnips, and cabbage; these crops formed their diet. What little they did have and grow they often shared with neighbors. The average wage for farm laborers in Ireland was about eight pence a day. At the time, this was only about a fifth of what a wage earner might make in the United States, and this was one of the first reasons that led the Irish to emigrate to America.
But why did the majority of the Irish come to America in the 1840's? The main reason is a result of a potato famine that occurred. In the space of five years (1845-1850), a great hunger overtook Ireland when the potato crop failed. During this time period more than a million Irish died of starvation. When the potato crops first began to fail, it was because of frost, dry rot, and curl. In 1845, the potato famine ruined about three-quarters of the country’s crop. Over four million people in Ireland relied on the potato as their chief food source. A major part of the food produced in Ireland was exported to other countries, and so this was a loss to them as well. The newest wave of potato problems was caused by a fungus, Phytophthora infestans, which had probably made its way into the country on a ship. The fungus invaded the potato plant, germinated, and aided by the warm weather, reproduced rapidly,. The crop that was planted
How did the Irish immigrants come? In 1818 there were Irish immigrants,they came on the first steam service to go to the UK ,this was called the called Rob Roy. Within a decade, ships were also ferrying passengers,mainly to areas in liverpool.One pull factor for them was that they heard that England had a lot of isolated area that could be used for growing crops.One push factor is the potatoe famine.Starting, in 1845 the potato famine killed over a million men, women and children in Ireland and caused millions to leave the country.Many poor people grew potatoes for food. Potatoes grew on unhealthy soil, even in winter.When a potato disease called blight arrived, possibly in ships from America.It was a disaster. Potatoes went rotten, and were
The factors that led to the Irish to emigrate from Ireland to America in the 1700’s and 1800’s were because of the scares resources. Potato was an important crop in Ireland because it can survive the war and provided their basic food needs. The Irish Famine forced them to make the choice to emigrate to America. The government was no help at all to the Irish because they did not do anything to really help the people going through hard times. Many people in Ireland were in poverty and lived of what they could grow but things diseases affected their crops. They were starving to death. Those working were paid little but most were unemployed. They were not given education in Ireland. The Irish had no hope left in Ireland. They left to America to
The Irish immigrated to the United States starting in 1820, more came after 1820 due to the potato famine which started in 1845, rotting of the potato crops
The book, “The Irish Way” by James R. Barrett is a masterpiece written to describe the life of Irish immigrants who went to start new lives in America after conditions at home became un-accommodative. Widespread insecurity, callous English colonizers and the ghost of great famine still lingering on and on in their lives, made this ethnic group be convinced that home was longer a home anymore. They descended in United States of America in large numbers. James R. Barrett in his book notes that these people were the first group of immigrants to settle in America. According to him, there were a number of several ethnic groups that have arrived in America. It was, however, the mass exodus of Irish people during and after the great
The improving times were not just a change for American, but also for the Irish. The improvement of the economic status of the Irish Americans helped boost family lift and esprit. Most Irish American families when first arriving in America had little or no money, thus forcing them to settle in the urban centers of the Northeast. Within the cities, families were close and revolved around the church, where they practiced catholic views and preaching against contraception; therefore, many Irish Catholics had very large families. Consequently, the economic rise of the Irish immigrants provided families with the money to feed and clothe their large families. In addition, many Irish Americans could now afford to send their children to parish schools, something many could not do while oppressed in
Even with the advantage of knowing English, the famine-era Irish had much going against them in America. They had few marketable skills, little education, and no money. Substantial social disorganization, poverty, crime, disease, alcoholism, and family dissolution accompanied their resettlement in America (241).
When many think of the times of immigration, they tend to recall the Irish Immigration and with it comes the potato famine of the 1840s' however, they forget that immigrants from the Emerald Isle also poured into America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The assimilation and immigration of the Irish has been difficult for each group that has passed through the gates of Ellis Island or South Boston. Like every group that came to America, the Irish were looked down upon; yet, in the face of discrimination, political, social and economic oppression, the Irish have been a testament to the American Dream as their influence in
The life of Irish immigrants in Boston was one of poverty and discrimination. The religiously centered culture of the Irish has along with their importance on family has allowed the Irish to prosper and persevere through times of injustice. Boston's Irish immigrant population amounted to a tenth of its population. Many after arriving could not find suitable jobs and ended up living where earlier generations had resided. This attributed to the 'invisibility' of the Irish.
At the time where America was well into the industrial revolution, it was also entering a different time period in our nation's history. It was the beginning of Irish Immigration. During this time, however, the immigration census was not what it was before when people first started coming to America. The population of immigrants was outnumbered by women. Irish women immigrated to America to start a new life, full of opportunities. Some women, however, experienced low points in their new found lives, while others flourished in the Americas.
The Great Irish Potato Famine was during a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration through 1845-1850. According to the journal, “The Context of Migration: The Example of Ireland in the Nineteenth Century” by James H. Johnson, this caused the population of Ireland to decrease 20-25% and it did not stabilize again until the 1930’s. Although there was a potato crop failure in Europe in the 1840’s, one third of the Irish population was dependent on this crop. This was inevitable due to the sole dependency of the Irish people on home-grown potatoes and the population almost doubling from 1800 - 1840. The journal, “Spaces for Famine: A Comparative Analysis in Ireland and the Highlands in the 1840’s” by Liz Young states that “if the
The mid-late 1800’s, immigration is rampant within the United States, approximately 12,000,000 foreigners are attempting to enter the country, searching for a second chance or a fresh start (“Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900”). Among the many nationalities immigrating were the Irish, coming to the Land of The Free in an attempt to escape the famine, disease, and poverty that lingered from the Great Potato Famine. The potential for a clean slate was so tempting that between 1820 and 1930, as many as 4.5 million Irish came to America (“Irish-Catholic Immigration to America”). However, despite the promise of opportunity, the Irish was not welcomed, nor were they particularly wanted. The Irish faced considerable obstacles when they first arrived in
There were many reasons why the Irish migrated to America, but two of the main factors were the escape of poverty and search for freedom. America was known for its liberty and cheap land, which led to many Irish desiring the migration to America.
Before the Irish Immigrants affected America, they immigrated to it. About 17% of the Irish immigrants to come America came before the 1840s. Because of the Irish potato famine, most of the Irish immigrants came to America between 1845 to 1860. The Irish potato famine, or The Great Potato Famine, was caused by a late blight on potato crops year after year, starting in 1945 and slowing down by 1851. The blight, otherwise known as Phytophthora infestans, infects the leaves and edible roots of the potato plant, leaving the whole crop rotting in the fields. Because at least half of Ireland at that time, mainly her poor, depended heavily on the potato crop as the main source of nutrients and the rest of Ireland consumed it in large numbers,
Prior to this time, there were large numbers of immigrants and refugees from Irish for the religious freedom, but mostly to escape from the Great Famine of 1845-1851 (Foner 343). According to (http://www.ushistory.org/us/25f.asp) , in the middle half of 19th century, over two
People were left with nothing to eat and no way to make money to support themselves. Many wandered the countryside, begging for food or work. Others ate grass and weeds to survive. Those who could afford it or those peasants, whose landlords paid the way, left the country in search of a better life. Many Irish set sail to the United States. Boston, Massachusetts seemed to be the Irish port of choice. Although it seemed that life for the Irish could not get any worse, the journey to Boston was yet another horror the Irish had to endure. Ship owners often crowded hundreds of desperate Irish onto rickety vessels labeled "coffin ships." In many cases, these ships reached port only after losing a third of their passengers to disease, hunger, and other causes (Virginia 2003). Because so many hungry Irish died on their disgusting crossing to Boston, the Atlantic Ocean became known as the "Bowl of Tears."