Irish Influence On Chicago

Chicago, Illinois was a popular city in the early United States. Chicago was a center for trade due to the water sources running through it. The two rivers located in Chicago, the Chicago River and the Des Plaines River, connected the city to the Mississippi river and Lake Michigan. Railroads through Chicago also helped it become a transportation center in the United States. Thousands of immigrants came to Chicago every year. Settlers and visitors arrived constantly by wagon, ship, or even train. There were around ten railroads that congregated in the city. Many people saw Chicago as a great opportunity. Merchants, tradesmen, and business from the East Coast scrambled to the new businesses opportunities in the city. In 1870, only one year before the Great Fire, around 300,000 people lived in Chicago.

Have you ever needed easier access to the essential items to stay alive? This is specifically what the residents of the North-East thought around the year 1817. Carol Sheriff argues in her book, “The Artificial River” that the residents of the canal corridor actively sought after long-distance trade and therefore consumer goods that markets brought to their homes. The fact that people supported the Erie Canal at all "suggests that at least some aspired to engage in broader market exchange" (p. 11). The transformation of this region because of the Erie Canal is organized around six topics, each of which is covered by a chapter. They include the; Visions of Progress, the Triumph of Art over Nature, Reducing Distance and Time, the Politics of Land and Water, the Politics of Business, and the Perils of Progress.

The Irish experience in the U.S. was harsh. They fled Ireland due to the Potato Famine, and arrived here for opportunity, and even more importantly, a better life. They were also exceedingly poor, so that being

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

Immigrants came flooding into the United States in hope of finding work. However, the canal did not attract just immigrants; it also brought visitors and tourists. Bringing in a sea of people, America was soon growing economically and nationally. “I have no doubt it is correct; for that I know was my early opinion, and many, I dare say still think with me that N. York has anticipated by a full century the ordinary progress of improvement.” More cities were established in the Midwest. Because the canal was such an attraction for people all over the world, the United States began to function and expand on using ships and relying on ships to transfer products to other parts in America.

Since settlers have moved into Chicago the Chicago leaders as well as the settlers have did everything they can to make Chicago fit their needs.

The Erie Canal was the next important aspect of the American System that provided a different way to import and export goods, especially helping regions like New York. The produce that was transferred on the canal was carried on small boats from farms to ports. When people wanted to get place, they were carried from port to port by large steamships. The Erie Canal lowered transportation costs, carried greater amounts of grain to Eastern Ports, and delivered coal from Pennsylvania to New York and New Jersey. This canal made a huge contribution to the wealth and significance of New York City, becoming the chief U.S. port and creating a large population surge in western New York. Since more people were moving into the state more towns and cities were created that also contributed to America’s economic growth by bringing in more businesses as well as goods and materials. The Erie Canal was a major aspect in bringing in new business and people into the United States and helped companies expand to a larger range of clients. With this new wealth that New York had, it could help other states grow by sharing resources and labor

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,

The transcontinental railroad had a huge impact on the economy of the United States. When the railroad was in the beginnings of being built they supplied many jobs to Irish

New York is a very important city. It’s the center of economy, trade, and is the highest populated city in America. None of this would be possible without the Erie Canal. As stated in the background essay,” In nine years, canal tolls more than recouped the entire cost of construction.” This shows how much money the canal made. More money means better economy. The canal made New York city so rich, that it created the word,” millionaire”. This was just one of the ways the Erie canal changed America.

In the mid-1920s, there was an even bigger increase in Irish immigrants to Chicago. Due to this increase in population, they moved up financially than other Europeans ethnicities. Instead of residing in lower-class areas, they began to disperse outwards. The areas where the Irish decided to move to were middle-class and upper-middle-class neighborhoods. Not many other ethnicities lived in these areas because they were not as financially secure as the Irish had become due to all the work they had received over the years. The neighborhoods the Irish lived in now were mainly in the Near North Side. Areas like, Lincoln Park, Lake View, and Uptown Areas (Cutler, 1973, 49-54).

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

Some other inexpensive attractions in Chicago are the different museums and exhibits scattered around the downtown area.

Do you think social issues still occur in your world today? Just by walking through the neighborhood, issues are able to be seen. Some examples would be family issues, gender inequalities, and economic disparity. While seeing social injustice through three different books, access to housing was very intriguing. Living conditions can vary based on your race. After realizing this, a question came to mind: is my local area segregated like the rest of the world?

"America's bounty -- the abundance of the fields, the beauty of the landscape, the richness of our opportunities -- has always attracted people who are in search of a better life for themselves and their children. Our democracy owes its success in great part to the countless immigrants who have made their way to our shores and to the tremendous diversity this Nation has been blessed with since its beginnings. In March, when communities all across the country celebrate St. Patrick's Day, our nation honors the rich heritage of the millions of Americans who trace their lineage to Ireland." (Clinton 2003) This was, in part, a proclamation given by our former President William J. Clinton, on February 23, 1995.