Irish Immigration to the Gangs of New York

What is an Ethnic Group?

Large groups of people classed according to common traits or customs

Who has been the most successful ethnic group in US history?

Jewish Immigrants have become the most successful ethnic group in the US. What have they achieved?

Highest Income Highest Level of Education Most Occupational Prestige

Who is the second most successful ethnic group? National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

The Irish!!! Who are a close second in each category National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

How? Why?

Strategies? By Chance? Luck?

Background History of the Irish

Early Irish History 800 BC – 400 AD Nomadic hunters and gathers Eventual settlements Few archaeological remains

Early Christian Period 400 – 800 St. Patrick, 432 AD Roman and Christian influences England, 684 AD

Medieval History 800 – 1200 Viking invasions and settlements Dublin, 840s AD Irish feudal kings Limited democratic practices

Later Medieval History

Norman Invasions, 12 th Century English – French rivalry 1171 AD, Lordship of Ireland, English Crown

The Scots in Ireland Scots/Ulster - Irish 17 th century sporadic migration 18 th Century Formal English policy Irish Catholics Driven from Ulster Captured Indentures Cromwell sent 100,000 to Caribbean Isles

Where the British Empire Goes So go the Irish: as Soldiers, Servants, Missionaries, Settlers, etc. as Soldiers, Servants, Missionaries, Settlers, etc. To North America

Irish Assimilation in North America Subsistence to Market Rural to Urban Non English--English Speakers

Ulster PresbyterianUlster Presbyterian Ulster Presbyterians become American Frontiersmen Daniel Boone, Davey Crockett Irish Catholics from Ulster become Protestant in America Irish Catholic Indentures (also Anglo-Irish)

During the American Revolution 33% to 40% of Washington’s Army was Irish Many British thought it was an Irish rebellion, or a Presbyterian rebellion

Early Patriots: Matthew Thornton George Taylor James Smith

By 1789 United Irishmen Alien-Sedition Act

1. Colonial Period: Irish as Alien Servants and Frontiersmen 2. Revolutionary Period: Irish gained claim to patriotism 3. Early Republican Period: Irish convergence of talented, educated men

Jacksonian Period: 1840s Mass Irish Immigration to the US Mostly Catholic Mostly Unskilled Labor Settled in the cities Emergence of intense anti Irish hostilities

The First Major Minority Group: All of the urban pathologies we now associate with the urban poor

Poor Irish  2/3 of those in Alms House were Irish Alms Houses lent poor out as laborers

UNSKILLED WORKERS Canals: Erie, Delaware & Chesapeake, New Orleans Railroads

CHOLERA EPIDEMIC Proof of Irish decadence

COMPETITION WITH BLACK LABOR  IRISH MOVE INTO CITIES ENMASS  $3 paid forwarding agents for fictitious RR jobs  They could work 12 hours for 87.5 cents a day Much lower than African Americans Much lower than African Americans See Want-ads in Boston & Philly papers See Want-ads in Boston & Philly papers NINANINA

Irish Discrimination  Paddy wagons  Patrick Hooligan  Irish drunks

Upward Mobility  Priesthood & Religious Life  Politics Police Police Firemen Firemen  Labor Unions  Nationalism

Not so Upwardly Mobile  The Irish dominated these professions by the late 19 th century  Boxers  Sportsmen  Singers  Actor  Musicians

Philadelphia vs. New York & Boston Which city was best for the Irish?

Housing  New York515,000 37,730 houses 37,730 houses  Philadelphia 490,000 61,200 houses 61,200 houses

Philadelphia ,312 Irish born 18% of city’s population ,458 Irish born 17% of city’s population In NYC & Boston 23% of the population

1850 Only 1% of Boston Irish were grocers % of Philly’s grocers were Irish 12% of Philly’s Dry Goods Merchants were Irish

HOUSES Building and Loans in Philadelphia

ENTREPRENEURS  Entrepreneurs Raise the Irish to New Levels % of Irish were unskilled laborers % of Irish were unskilled laborers This has NO parallel with any other immigrant groupThis has NO parallel with any other immigrant group  But only 33% of Philly’s Irish were unskilled laborers

Irish Construction Companies Build Catholic Churches & Schools Irish Catholic Workers Workers can afford homes

Prior to 1860 Boston has only 4 Catholic schools PHILLY HAD 19

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS  Protestant Bibles  Proselytize Catholics  Harass Children

NATIVISTS RIOTS in Philadelphia  BIBLE CONTROVERSY  HARASSMENT OF CATHOLIC CHILDREN

Gangs of New York  Fact:  Gangs existed originated in part from gangs in Ireland.  Functioned similarly to gangs of today.

Gangs of New York  NY’s infamous  Five Points

The Battle?

Bandits Roost

NY Irish Gangs Disappeared as they became economically assimilated

Why study the Irish? American success story