FREE ESSAY ON IRISH IN AMERICA

IRISH IN AMERICA

The United States has always been known as The Land of Immigrants. People from all parts
of the globe have traveled to America, to be free from oppression, disease, and hunger,
or simply to start a new life. Many different people of different culture, race, and
religion have made their mark and helped to shape the American culture. One of the most
influential immigration movements in American History is the Irish Immigration.
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 language (Watts 23). There were few Irish in America until 1845,
when a disease struck the potato crops of Ireland, wiping out the chief, and in some
cases only, source of food for many poor farmers. This continued for the next five years,
killing over 2.5 million people. Many Irish said God put the blight on the potatoes, but
England put the hunger upon Ireland. The Irish farmers did have other crops and livestock
but they were all shipped to England as rent for the landlords. Without the rent money
the starving Irish would not even have a home (Considine 50).
In the years to come, hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants saved all the money they
could to send a family member on the journey across the Atlantic. It was their pain and
suffering which powered them and gave them the strength to survive. The ships were
overcrowded with immigrants, where disease and hunger followed them and many more died on
the journey. Upon arrival at the ports of the United States, the immigrants were
described as being demoralized and confused (Walt). The Irish men fought, in many cases
physically to get labor jobs of long hours and low pay. The women worked manly as
servants called Brigets, to upper class families. 
In the south, mainly New Orleans, the Irish lived in the swampland, living with diseases
such as yellow fever and malaria. The Irish men were looked at as lower than slaves, as
one historian puts it If a plantation owner loses a slave, he loses an investment, If a
plantation owner loses a laborer he can just find another (Walt). Because of this, many
were put into very dangerous jobs. 
In cities such as Boston and New York, Irish immigrants were packed into slums and many
still were dying as a result of hunger and disease. The Irish were discriminated against,
mainly for being Catholics in an almost exclusively Protestant society. Many factories
and employers posted signs on their doors, workers wanted, no Irish need apply (Considine
5). With the low wages that the Irish were earning (although much higher than they would
receive in Ireland), one would think that the money would all be spent on feeding and
housing the worker and their family, but this was not the case. Through backbreaking
sacrifice, they were able to send home a few shillings or pounds at a time until a
sister, a brother, a mother, father, daughter, aunt, uncle, cousin or friend had enough
money to buy the ship ticket (Considine 46). This devotion of the Irish to their family
and their fellow countrymen is a remarkable aspect of their culture.
From the depths of society, the Irish begin to rise to greatness, slowly Irish workers
begin finding better jobs and many buying land and living on their own. The first event,
which told the Americans that the Irish were truly American, was the Civil War. The Sixty
Ninth New York State Volunteers or The Fighting 69th, was made up of all Irish men
fighting to preserve the union. This Irish brigade soon became known for its bravery and
willingness to die for the cause. By the end of the war, The Fighting 69th had fought in
every major campaign in the eastern front of the war. Of the two thousand regiments of
the Union Army, the NYSV ranked sixth in losses (Powers). When people heard news of this
Irish brigade they realized that the Irish were indeed true Americans who were willing to
put their lives on the line to preserve their new country.
Still, there were many Protestants who did not want the Catholics to have any power in
government. A movement started to put down the rise of the Catholics, at the head of the
movement were the Know Nothings, a group named because when they were asked about their
cause the replied I know nothing (Walt). These people wanted to limit immigration and
only give the vote to those, which were born in America. This movement did not last too
long because, the Irish, with their huge numbers already had the vote and the Know
Nothings were soon gone.
Soon the Irish were spread all throughout the United States, many of them on the
frontier, building railroads west, and following the gold rush. One man John Mackay, rose
up from being a lowly miner to one of the richest men in the world when he discovered a
huge gold deposit. The most remarkable aspect of John Mackay was that he never left his
friends behind because of his money, many times he gave fellow miners needed money. He
was a model of many Irish beliefs, to never leave your friends behind, and always
remember where you came from (Walt).
The Irish men became known for hanging out in the Taverns with friends after a hard day's
work. At these Taverns the men sang, told stories, and sometimes fought. Out of these
barroom brawls came bareknuckle fighting, the precursor to boxing. John L. Sullivan from
Roxbury, Massachusetts, soon became well known for his triumphs in the ring. One of his
matches, against John Kilrane, lasted 75 rounds until Sullivan triumphed. Sullivan made a
huge impact on the Irish, they finally had a name to look up too, a role model. As for
everyone else, it became a privilege to be Irish, many non-Irish fighters changed to
Irish surnames (Walt).
In the late nineteenth century, the Irish finally began to make a lasting imprint on
American culture. They set a standard for work ethic, their religion became the major
religion in many cities, and they soon became political machines empowering the
Democrats. Their culture gave us pride in ourselves, and our home, and they gave us a
model of true friendship, the willingness to do anything for a friend. All of these
aspects of Irish culture are still alive today. The Dropkick Murphy's, a Boston punk
band, uses the themes of Irish culture in many of their songs. As one song goes:
Say hey Johnny Boy the battle call, 
United we stand, divided we fall,
Together we are what we can't be alone,
We came to this country, you made it our home (Dropkick).
This song tells of the camaraderie which the Irish posses, and how they find strength in
numbers. One Irish historian states, to be Irish is to be against it, and fight for what
is yours and to know the value of sticking together(Walt). For these reasons, the Irish
made a lasting impression on our culture and will go down in history as one of the most
influential movements in our history. 
Bibliography
Considine, Bob It's The Irish. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc, 1961.
Dropkick Murphy's Do or Die. Compact Disc. Hellcat Records. 1997. 40 min.
Powers, Kenneth History of the 69th New York State Volunteers 1851-1865. 69th New York
State Volunteers. 11/16/99. 
Walt Disney Studios The Irish In America: Long Journey Home. Vol.2. Buena Vista Home
Entertainment. 115 min.
Watts J.F. The Irish Americans. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1988.