Irish and Irish Americans (Feb. 10, 2014)Basics- First wave of migration- Involuntary migrants- Before 1840, only 300,000 Irish came to U.S. - Between 1841-1860 1.6 million Irish came to U.S.- Keep coming with a peak again in 1890’s Why leave Ireland?1. Plantation System- English Protestants confiscated Irish land - Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland in 17th century2. Penal Laws- Denied land owning and voting rights to Catholics3. Potato Blight- “Gorta Mar” 1846-1852- Widespread famine, poverty, and deathAtlantic Crossing- “Coffin ships”o Minimal food and watero Diseaseo 25% casualty rate- “Past Poor”o Did not have money to pay for passage o Arrived in debt to ship captain LocationNortheastern Port cities - NYC- Boston- Philadelphia“Ethic Enclave”-concentrated settlement of migrants from the same country of origin with in a city - NYC- 5 points - Boston- “Southie” or South Boston Who Migrated?- Chain migrationo A single member of the family comes first, then sends money home for one or more members to followo Catholic Churcho Mostly young and
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