Irish Immigration to AmericaBy John Villante

The Great Famine

The Great Famine struck Ireland in 1840 and forced many of its citizens to leave their homeland.

• Disease destroyed Ireland’s potato crops and left millions without food.

• More than 1 million people died from starvation during a 5 year period.

• Driven by fear and desperation Irish families sought a better way of life and emigrated to America.

• In major cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Life in America

The second wave of Irish Immigrants were not welcome in America.

• By 1850 nearly 2 million Irish had settled in America.

• They were poor, unskilled Catholics unfamiliar to the urban way of life.

• Met with bigotry and hatred by anti foreign Americans throughout the northeast.

• Shunned by landlords and shop owners.

• Denied work in factories.

• Forced to live in filthy and crime ridden ghettos.

The Five PointsThe Five Points was a ghetto in lower Manhattan were Irish immigrants were forced to live.

The Five Points

Was a crime-infested slum that existed for well over 70 years.

The Five PointsThe Five Points of New York can be considered the original American melting pot.

• It was comprised of Protestant religious sects, newly emancipated slaves and Irish Catholics.

• Riots and violence occurred on a regular basis.

The Five Points

The Gangs of New York

Martin Scorsese did a brilliant job depicting the conditions that Irish immigrants were forced to endure.

His recreation was inspired by:

• Actual people who lived in Five Points in the 19th century.

• Religious discrimination suffered by the Catholics.

• True to history riots that resulted from it.

Religious Discrimination

Century old tension between Protestants and Catholics found its way to America.

• Religious and ethnic discrimination by the American elite was used to cleanse the city of the Irish.

• Nativist groups were an early version of the KKK.

• Irish Catholics were looked upon as sub-human and genetically inferior.

• The Irish champion of civil rights – “Dagger” John Hughes.

Assimilation

“Dagger” John Hughes was the 1st Archbishop of the Diocese of New York and a catalyst of cultural change.

• Education – Catholic School System.

• Created Parish churches to teach self control and high personal standards.

• Faith based system of values – Religious discipline.

• Catholic Abstinence Society – Modern day Gamblers Anonymous.

• Found honest work for Irish men and woman.

ConclusionSecond and Third generation Irish were better educated and more successful than their predecessors.

They were able to climb the social ladder through:

• Politically Appointed Positions.

• Positions as policeman, fireman and teachers.

• College Education.

• The Presidency.

Sources

"Irish American Journey." Irish American Journey. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.

"Irish - Colonial Immigration - Immigration...- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress." Irish - Colonial Immigration - Immigration...- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.