Largest Migration of the 19th Century
The great Irish immigration happened between 1820 and 1930 when 4.5 million Irish Catholics, mostly uneducated and poor, came in masses to America. The largest influx came during the Potato Famine, 1845-1852, when nearly one quarter of the Irish population—2 million people—came to the new world to escape certain death.
After the month-long journey on the cargo ships, many of the immigrants arrived on our shores very ill from disease, including typhus, dysentery, tuberculosis, and cholera. The voyage was grueling for the hungry and sick passengers, many penniless. At least a quarter of the refugees died on what became known as coffin ships.
Potato Blight
The potato blight was everywhere in Europe at the time, but the famine particularly devastated Ireland under British rule. During the famine, the British exported huge amounts of Irish wheat, oats, beans, and other crops to England while thousands of Irish people suffered and died from starvation.
The English owned most of the farmland back then, leaving the natives without the right to the lands they worked, harvested, or improved. Under British rule, the Irish were not allowed to own their own guns, horses, or land or speak their own language.
Charles E. Trevelyan, in charge of the relief effort for Britian during the famine, callously declared, “The judgement of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson, that calamity must not be too much mitigated.” Over a century later, in 1997, British Prime Minister Tony Blair apologized for the government failing the people of Ireland:
“The famine was a defining event in the history of Ireland and Britain. It has left deep scars. That one million people should have died in what was then part of the richest and most powerful nation in the world is something that still causes pain as we reflect on it today. Those who governed in London at the time failed their people.”
America’s Prejudice Against the Irish
When they came to the US, Irish Catholics were looked down upon for their religious beliefs and customs. Many Americans saw the refugees as nonwhite and inferior, a threat to the working class for jobs, and a strain on the welfare system. They were accused of spreading crime, everything from theft to rape.
As the number of Irish Catholics grew during the mid-1800s, they faced increased economic discrimination and prejudice, especially from Anglo-Saxon Protestants whose ancestors had sailed across the Atlantic to escape the tyranny of the Church of England. But despite their hardships, Irish Americans celebrated their heritage in large US cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia on St. Patrick’s Day as early as March 17, 1766.
Irish Pride and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
It didn’t take long for Irish Americans to realize the power in their growing numbers. When they organized as a voting group, the Irish soon became very attractive to political candidates. President Harry Truman attended the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1948, helping the Irish overcome prejudice against their heritage and culture.
Over many years, the Irish have fought against stereotypes to be accepted in the free world of America. The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade has become a popular event for politicians to gain endorsements and for the Irish to proudly, and often loudly, celebrate their heritage and their ancestry.
When America Despised the Irish: The 19th Century’s Refugee Crisis | HISTORY
St. Patrick’s Day: Origins, Meaning & Background | HISTORY
https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/irish/irish-catholic-immigration-to-america
https://reimaginingmigration.org/historical-context-irish-immigrants-in-the-19th-century
https://www.ighm.org/learn.html
https://mises.org/mises-daily/what-caused-irish-potato-famine
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