Summary
In an accessible introduction to the subject, Irish Immigrants covers everything about the Irish people who ventured to America. Among other significant facts and events, it discusses three main factors that led to Irish immigration—poverty, overpopulation, and dependence on a single crop—and describes the role of the English system of land ownership and the religious wars of the 17th century. A final chapter provides a summary of Irish Americans in the present day and includes several cultural notes, including a selection of recent and current singers, politicians, artists, actors, and other notable figures of Irish heritage. Examining all aspects of Irish immigration with the help of numerous photographs, illustrations, and original source materials, Irish Immigrants is a perfect reference for any public library or middle and high school classroom.
History covered includes:
- How oppression by the English spurred immigration
- Tensions between the Protestants and the Catholics
- The 1690 Battle of the Boyne
- Potato famine
- Irish immigrants’ contribution to the American Revolution and the Civil War
- How Irish people entered into city politics and culture, including gangs, secret clubs, and unions
- New York City’s Ancient Order of Hibernians
- Tenement life in New York City and elsewhere.