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Irish Immigration 1800-1880 Essay, Research Paper

INTRODUCTION The history of Ireland “that most distressful nation” is full of drama and tragedy,

but one of the most interesting stories is about what happened to the Irish during the mid-nineteenth

century and how millions of Irish came to live in America (Purcell 31). Although the high point of the

story was the years of the devastating potato famine from 1845 to 1848, historians have pointed out

that immigrating from Ireland was becoming more popular before the famine and continued until the

turn of the twentieth century. In the one hundred years between the first recording of immigrants in

1820 and the passing of immigration restrictions in 1924, over four and one half million Irish

immigrated to the United States.

HOW THEY PAID TO COME TO AMERICA Most of the pre-famine immigrants were single

men who found jobs as laborers in the North and Northeast (Purcell 32). Although these were low

paying jobs, they were still better than what they had in Ireland. Another thing typical of the Irish

immigrants in the pre-famine years was something called the chain migration (Purcell 36). The first

immigrants found jobs, saved most or all of their money, and sent money or tickets for sailing on the

ships to relatives in the old country. By very hard work, immigrants made it possible to pay for their

entire family to follow them to America. To save up all of the passage money was very difficult but

they worked hard and did it. Many immigrants from other countries also used the chain migration

idea, and it is still common for immigrants to use this system. However, the Irish were the first to use

chain migration in such a big way.

THE LAWS OF IMMIGRATION During the 200 years that this country has been in existence, the

United States immigration policy has developed and been modified to meet the changing needs of

the nation. In 1776, right after the Declaration of independence was signed, Congress made

qualitative restrictions for the immigration of people from other countries to the United States in

order to make sure the good health of foreigners entering this country (Danilov 3).

ACCEPTANCE AND NONACCEPTANCE IN AMERICA The Catholic Church and politics

were very important to the Irish Americans. The church in Ireland had been a bulwark of strength

against English oppression. When the Irish suffered the same hostility as the British to their religious

beliefs, the church in America became a source of spiritual comfort. French and native-born priests

controlled the American Catholic church when the Irish arrived in large numbers, but the Irish

quickly moved up, becoming priests, nuns, and archbishops and leaders in the church. Archbishop

John Hughes of New York in the 1840s was the first of many Irish leaders in the Catholic Church.

Politics and religion helped the Irish overcome the bitter poverty they faced in the mid 1800s. As of

1980, the nearly 20 million Irish Americans were more likely than other immigrants to be

professionals and managers. Irish Americans had also earned the admiration of other Americans

through many special contributions to culture in the United States. The novelists John O’Hara, F.

Scott Fitzgerald, Mary McCarthy, and William Kennedy; the playwright Eugene O’Neill; and the

film actor Spencer Tracy are just a few of the Irish Americans who have been well known because

of their talents (Reimers 53-54). After the Irish arrived in America, they became known as a group

that was distinctly different. First of all, almost all the Irish immigrants of this period were Roman

Catholic. Lord Baltimore tried to establish a haven for Catholics in Maryland, but America was

solidly Protestant and was prejudiced against the Catholics (Reimers 52). Since many of the Irish

refugees, arrived with almost no money and were often sick, the Americans had a poor opinion of

Irish Catholics, and their very large numbers caused fear and panic in the Protestant Americans. The

Irish “hordes” were the targets of discrimination for decades. Many Americans thought they were

poor, dirty, uneducated, and participated in an “alien religion.” It was not until the 1960 election of

President John Kennedy, a Roman Catholic descendent of pre-famine Irish immigrants, who faced

anti-Catholic propaganda throughout his career, that the Irish finally got rid of some of the

discrimination (Purcell 33).

POLITICS IN AMERICA Irishmen did well in America, many becoming well known in their

community because of their involvement in local politics. The Irish arrived in the United States at a

time when the political procedures were becoming more democratic. By 1840 nearly every white

male in the United States, rich or poor, could cast his ballot in elections. One man described it this

way: “the gentry yielded to professional politicians who viewed party management as a vocation.”

The Irish soon became part of these “party managers,” who had enormous influence within the

Democratic Party (Reimers 52). By the end of the 1840’s, the Irish “bosses” were controlling ward

politics in cities with lots of Irish, such as Boston and New York, and later, Jersey City and

Chicago. In an era lacking in social services for the poor, ward bosses acted as one-man charitable

institutions. They raised funds for christenings, weddings, and funerals, gave money to poor widows,

and did many favors for people who were living on the edge of being homeless or

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