Irish Female Emigration: The Views of Akenson and Lambert Essay example

In Hasia R. Diner’s book Erin’s Daughters In America she discussed the history of the lives of Irish immigrants, specifically women, before the Famine and after they emigrated to the United States. After the Famine, Irish citizens had to make drastic changes in their lives in order to survive, such as having more variety in food and the crops that they grew, and changing their marriage patterns and how often they had children. Many people even decided to immigrate to America, the majority of which were women. When Irish women came to America their lives were greatly revolutionized when they were forced to adopt new economic opportunities by finding a job quickly and gaining economic stability, and they had to modify their marriage patterns by getting married later in life, if they got married at all.

‘Legally incompetent and useless ' was the term that defined women in the 7th and 8th century in Ireland. It would be wrong to exaggerate the status of women in early Irish society- a society which was patriarchal and in which every aspect of social, legal, political and cultural life was dominated by men.# At this time in Ireland, people genuinely believed that every individual was born without gender and it was women who failed to develop both socially and physiologically, thus making them weaker than men. Although it cannot be denied that women did have a certain freedom within the law regarding marriage and divorce, the role of women, primarily in this era was to follow the example of the men in her life. I am going to examine the

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

In the late 1800s, people from other countries across the world choose to leave their homes and move to the United States. United States was seen as the land of economic opportunity at this time because of famine, land and job shortages, and rising taxes in their countries. Many others desired personal freedom or to escape political and religious persecution. Between 1870 and 1900, over 12 million immigrants arrived in hopes of a promising future. The majority of these immigrants were from England, Ireland, and Germany. Immigrants from Europe commonly entered from ports on the East Coast and settled nearby. However, there were a few immigrants who were attracted by lands for farming and moved inland.

There was a very different scene in the household of American families. During the early 1800s, a woman’s life consisted of many obligations and few choices. Women were pretty much controlled by the men in their life, their fathers, brothers, and husbands. The life would consist of finding a husband, reproducing, and then spending the rest of their lives helping the family in the house. In fact, when women became married, legally all of her inheritance and belongings would belong to her husband.

During the 18th century the Irish slowly began their migration to America. Centuries of oppression from Protestant English rule had forced them to live very poor lives under strict rules, in some cases having to renounce their Catholic beliefs and having to abandon their Gaelic

Mary Ann Shadd 's "A Plea for Emigration" was a pamphlet that was written for African Americans who may be interested in emigrating to Canada. By examining all the different parts of the country, such as climate and labour, Shadd paints a very positive overview of Canada. It 's a very simple read and I was able to get through it without any issues. However, as I read it, I was quite concerned with how it was written. It was a very biased opinion of Canada and Shadd was constantly overselling the country to convince people to emigrate to Canada. She only addresses any concerns for the sheer purpose of just reassuring the reader and pushing it to the side. As a result, it grossly undermines the hardships that an immigrant may face, especially for African individuals. As this was written in 1852, racism was still rampant within North America and even though Canada had an anti-slavery legislation, that does not dismiss the discrimination that Black citizens would face. Furthermore, moving to a new country and rebuilding a life there isn’t as simple as Shadd portrays, especially during this time period. With only manual hard labour as job opportunities and being forced to survive out in the wilderness, this is a life that isn’t suited for everyone. Shadd attempts to convince the readers that the hard work is worth it, but she does a very shallow job of doing so as she neglects to mention any of these difficulties. Her proposition only appear strong because she doesn’t choose to

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,

National problems have led one to flee his country and take part in illicit businesses to obtain a life of higher quality. The Constitutional Rights Foundation observes that between 1845 and 1855 more than 1.5 million adults and children left Ireland to settle in America because of poverty, starvation, and disease. Disease had demolished Ireland’s potato crops and the Potato Famine killed more than one million people in five years. The immigrants who reached America settled in Boston, New York, and other cities where they lived in tough conditions (Constitutional Rights

Ewen's Immigrant Women in the Land of Dollars Throughout history, the concept of Americanization has been studied in order to better understand the effects of a mass culture on immigrants. On one side stands the view of an immigrant engulfed in American ideology who leaves behind his past. He conforms to this new individualism and now is able to move upward on the economic ladder. On the opposite end of defining Americanization is the unscathed immigrant who maintains his old word traditions and institutions to emerge

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

Response Paper: “Molly Brant-From Clan Mother to Loyalist”, “Disorderly Women and the Struggle for Authority” and “Punishing Deviant Women-The State as Patriarch”

The turmoil of the second decade of the twentieth century gave way to a greater sense of peace and stability in the third, with a peace treaty signed between Ireland and Britain in December of 1921 and Home Rule finally established for most of the Irish isle (Ferriter, n.d.). At the same time, this new society did not lead to instant prosperity, and indeed poverty remained a major and growing problem in Ireland during this decade (Ferriter, n.d.). Economic and social problems that persisted during this decade certainly could have been pushes to increased immigration.

“Exile’s Return” Thirdly, “Exile’s Return,” by Bryan MacMahon, describes the return of a man named Paddy Kinsella, from England, after six years of being away. This emigration could have potentially been because of “the pressure [that] was placed on women to remain in the home and to not take jobs away from husband, fathers, and brothers” (Ryan 388). His return was on the grounds that he received a letter from a friend that stated that his wife had been cheating on him, and that it was a shame that he was continuing to send her money while she was acting in such an inappropriate manner (MacMahon 219). Yet, by sending money home it potentially helped with remittances, causing emigrants to play “a vital role in the economic welfare of their

Ireland is a country that is rich in culture, traditions, and faith. This country has struggled with over time with famine, religious tension, and even freedom. Many individuals immigrated to America in search of a better life. The person I chose to interview family came over to the United States when Ireland was struggling with famine. They came over on a boat through New York and changed there name to make it more American. For this paper I will further discuss the Irish culture and the person I interviewed.