History of Irish Immigrants in the United States
Irish immigrants are perhaps one of the most well-known groups to enter the United States. This could be attributed to the famous famine in Ireland during the 1840s, which many assume is the only era Irish immigrants entered the United States. Irish immigrants came to the United States during the Colonial era, through the famine years and throughout the late nineteenth century. Irish immigration was limited after 1924 but resumed during the contemporary immigration era after World War II. The Irish waves of immigration have seen different religions, genders, and skills entering the United States. Today, millions claim Irish ancestry. The inclusion of the Irish immigrants in the United States has had a major effect on United States history and American culture.
Irish Immigration in the Colonial Era
Irish immigrants first began entering America during the eighteenth century. Approximately 100,000 to 250,000 Irish settled in America during their first years of immigration in the Colonial Era. Ireland had experienced a large population growth during the eighteenth century. As the population grew, Britain enacted legislation causing the number of Irish owning land to decrease and poverty to increase. The majority of these first Irish immigrants were male and Protestant, although a few immigrants were Catholic. The first Irish immigrants came to America for land, work, and a new life. They mostly settled in New England in cities such as Boston. Others migrated to Philadelphia, New York, and areas in the South. Not all of the immigrants who immigrated to America were poor. Irish gentry settled in the United States to serve as governors, government officials, and soldiers in the British colonies. Along with the Irish gentry, indentured servants and prisoners settled in the colonies. The Irish quickly adapted to the American way of life. The few immigrants who were Catholic left their religion because there were few churches and they could not practice their religion openly (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005).
Irish Immigration in the Early 1800s
Immigration in the early 1800s was similar and different to the wave of immigration during the Colonial era. The British had issued new legislation to prevent the Irish from immigrating when the British lost their colonies in America after the American Revolution. Irish continued immigrating to the United States because of the high population and limited economic opportunities in Ireland. More immigrants were able to come than prior years, because transportation had become cheaper and faster. Irish immigrants continued settling in the North in New England and settled in highly urban areas. This wave of immigration saw no Irish indentured servants or convicts entering the United States. Irish immigrants were male and sent for their families back in Ireland after they had obtained employment and housing. During the early nineteenth century, almost one million Irish entered the United States (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005).
By the 1830s, the majority of the immigrants were male, unskilled, impoverished, and Catholic. Irish men were primarily coming to the United States and filled jobs in infrastructure. They helped build the Erie Canal, railroads, and city streets. Infrastructure jobs were among the only jobs available to the men because of their low skill level and limited education. Irish women were among the minority of Irish immigrants entering the United States, but the single women who did come sought employment in American homes as maids. These domestic servants underwent discrimination by their employers who believed they were unhygienic and inferior to Americans. Americans discriminated against her nationality and faith, while accepting the Irish into their homes to work. The 1840s saw growing numbers of Irish entering the United States with the advent of the great famine (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005).
The Famine Years (1845-1855)
Irish family being evicted from their home during the potato famine.
The famine in Ireland severely impacted the living standard of the Irish in Ireland. Landlords took plots of land away from the Irish and rents increased. Irish farmers turned to the potato to make a living and made the potato crop a major part of the diet of the Irish. In the 1840s, a potato blight destroyed the potato crop and the resulting famine killed thousands. Diseases such as typhus and fever ran rampant, and weather and disease prevented Irish farmers from growing their potato crops. At least one-sixth of the population died from hunger and disease between 1845 and 1855. The Irish’s only choice was to leave Ireland for countries like the United States. Approximately two million Irish immigrated overseas during the famine years, 1845-1855 (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005).
Irish immigrants during the famine era were still likely to live in urban areas. They primarily settled in the Northeast, in New England, New York, and New Jersey. During this wave, Irish families came in large numbers. The immigrants of the famine years were unskilled and impoverished, and did menial jobs as common laborers and domestic servants. For the first time, women worked in the textile mills of New England. During these years, Irish immigrants made up a large portion of residents in jail, poor houses, and charity houses because they were poor and undergoing a traumatic change from their previous life in Ireland. Americans considered Irish to be inferior even to African Americans. In a country where the majority of citizens were Protestant, Irish Catholics helped make Catholicism the largest denomination in the United States by 1860. Anti-Catholic movements became popular during this time period because Americans saw Catholics as a threat to American life. The Anti-Catholic movement erupted in violence against Catholics and created the Know-Nothing political party (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005; McCaffrey 1985).
A cartoon by the Know Nothing Party in the 1850s accusing Irish and other immigrants of affecting elections.
Post-Famine Irish Immigration: 1860-1930
The majority of all Irish immigrants came to the United States after 1860. Transportation became faster, safer, and cheaper with the invention of the steamship. Over two million Irish immigrants continued to settle in urban areas of the Northeast. During this wave, the immigrants spread throughout the country to Chicago and San Francisco. By moving westward, the Irish had better social and economic opportunities. Women now became the majority of Irish settling in the United States and would continue to be for decades. The Irish immigrants were young and single, between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005).
The jobs of these new Irish immigrants differed from previous waves. Many still remained at the bottom of the class system, working low skilled jobs. In the United States, Irishmen began to monopolize jobs such as policemen and firemen. Irish immigrants became more prominent in skilled areas, such as plumbing and tailoring. A small number were able to have some success at climbing higher up the class system by working in these skilled jobs. Many Irishmen entered the military and served during the Civil War. They established their own regiments and contributed to a number of victories for both the Union and Confederate armies. Irish women participated in the Civil War as nurses. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Irish joined unions and politics. They mainly voted Democratic and for those who had the best interests for the Irish. Corruption shaped the role of Irish politics for decades (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005).
The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw less Irish settling in the country. The Irish still came but not in great numbers. The second generation of Irish Americans began to dominate. There was approximately 3.2 million second generation Irish living in the United States by 1880. These Irish Americans embraced their two cultures and were devout Catholics. Because the Irish Americans were young, they were able to transform American popular culture. They participated in sports, such as boxing and were commonly seen acting on stage. In the 1890s, the Irish dominated the entertainment industry. Rates of intermarriage in the second generation were much higher than among immigrants from Ireland. The second generation was American first and Irish second (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005).
Immigrants from all countries decreased because of restrictions in the United States and events occurring around the world. The 1924 Immigration Act set up quotas and favored Irish immigrants over immigrants from Asia and Southern and Eastern Europe. The quotas helped Irish to come into the country but not many made the journey to the United States at this time even with the quotas. The Great Depression and World War II would prevent and stop the flow of immigrants into the United States (Daniels 2002; Meagher 2005).
Contemporary Irish Immigration: Post-World War II
Irish continued to enter the United States at different intervals after World War II. Numbers slightly increased in the 1950s but never saw the same numbers of the nineteenth century. Irish immigration fell in the 1960s and 1970s because Ireland’s economy was doing well during these decades. The 1965 Immigration Act had gotten rid of the quotas that had let in large numbers of Irish. As a result of the act, immigrants from Asia and Latin America were dominating American immigration. This also prevented Irish from coming, in addition to the healthy economy in Ireland. During the 1970s, only 1,000 Irish entered the United States. The Irish economy worsened during the 1980s, causing Irish to leave their homeland once again. It was difficult for the Irish to enter legally because it was difficult to obtain visas and the family reunification clause set in place by the 1965 Immigration Act did not pertain to the Irish. They could not take advantage of the family reunification clause because the Irish had no close relatives in the United States. Many Irish came to the United States as tourists and would stay on in the country illegally. Almost 200,000 Irish immigrated to the United States legally and illegally in the 1980s. An Immigration Reform Movement assisted Irish to enter by setting aside more visas (Meagher 2005).
The 1950s saw a differentiation in the types of jobs Irish immigrants had. Many were able to work white-collar jobs. Most of the new Irish had at least an elementary education and the majority attended college. Contemporary Irish were able to get jobs in corporations. Irish immigrants who were in the United States illegally had limited opportunities. Undocumented Irish immigrants could only get jobs in restaurants or as domestic servants and nannies. Irish immigrants settled in urban areas where there was a large Irish presence and eventually relocated to the suburbs. The Irish were still heavily involved in politics and unions, becoming involved in state and the federal government. Their ties to the Democratic Party loosened, as many Irish turned more conservative (Meagher 2005).
The second generation of Irish Americans fell by the 1960s but the third and fourth generations made up a large portion of the American population. The generations would have a proud sense of patriotism for the United States and would integrate their native culture and American culture together. Irish music and dance would become popular in America, as well as the Irish studies major that began in the 1970s and still continues today. Today over forty million American claim Irish ancestry. The Irish have been an integral part of American history and their legacy still continues today through continuing immigration and the integration of their culture within American culture (Meagher 2005).
History492FarAndAway 