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Published byKarin Harrison Modified over 9 years ago
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Irish Immigration to the Gangs of New York
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What is an Ethnic Group?
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Large groups of people classed according to common traits or customs
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Who has been the most successful ethnic group in US history?
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Jewish Immigrants have become the most successful ethnic group in the US. What have they achieved?
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Highest Income Highest Level of Education Most Occupational Prestige
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Who is the second most successful ethnic group? National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
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The Irish!!! Who are a close second in each category National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
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How? Why?
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Strategies? By Chance? Luck?
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Background History of the Irish
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Early Irish History 800 BC – 400 AD Nomadic hunters and gathers Eventual settlements Few archaeological remains
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Early Christian Period 400 – 800 St. Patrick, 432 AD Roman and Christian influences England, 684 AD
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Medieval History 800 – 1200 Viking invasions and settlements Dublin, 840s AD Irish feudal kings Limited democratic practices
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Later Medieval History
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Norman Invasions, 12 th Century English – French rivalry 1171 AD, Lordship of Ireland, English Crown
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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
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Where the British Empire Goes So go the Irish: as Soldiers, Servants, Missionaries, Settlers, etc. as Soldiers, Servants, Missionaries, Settlers, etc. To North America
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Irish Assimilation in North America Subsistence to Market Rural to Urban Non English--English Speakers
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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)
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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
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Early Patriots: Matthew Thornton George Taylor James Smith
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By 1789 United Irishmen Alien-Sedition Act
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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
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Jacksonian Period: 1840s Mass Irish Immigration to the US Mostly Catholic Mostly Unskilled Labor Settled in the cities Emergence of intense anti Irish hostilities
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The First Major Minority Group: All of the urban pathologies we now associate with the urban poor
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Poor Irish 2/3 of those in Alms House were Irish Alms Houses lent poor out as laborers
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UNSKILLED WORKERS Canals: Erie, Delaware & Chesapeake, New Orleans Railroads
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CHOLERA EPIDEMIC Proof of Irish decadence
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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
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Irish Discrimination Paddy wagons Patrick Hooligan Irish drunks
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Upward Mobility Priesthood & Religious Life Politics Police Police Firemen Firemen Labor Unions Nationalism
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Not so Upwardly Mobile The Irish dominated these professions by the late 19 th century Boxers Sportsmen Singers Actor Musicians
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Philadelphia vs. New York & Boston Which city was best for the Irish?
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Housing -- 1851 New York515,000 37,730 houses 37,730 houses Philadelphia 490,000 61,200 houses 61,200 houses
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Philadelphia 1850 72,312 Irish born 18% of city’s population 1860 95,458 Irish born 17% of city’s population In NYC & Boston 23% of the population
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1850 Only 1% of Boston Irish were grocers 1857 20% of Philly’s grocers were Irish 12% of Philly’s Dry Goods Merchants were Irish
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HOUSES Building and Loans in Philadelphia
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ENTREPRENEURS Entrepreneurs Raise the Irish to New Levels 1850 48% of Irish were unskilled laborers 1850 48% 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
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Irish Construction Companies Build Catholic Churches & Schools Irish Catholic Workers Workers can afford homes
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Prior to 1860 Boston has only 4 Catholic schools PHILLY HAD 19
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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Protestant Bibles Proselytize Catholics Harass Children
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NATIVISTS RIOTS in Philadelphia BIBLE CONTROVERSY HARASSMENT OF CATHOLIC CHILDREN
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Gangs of New York Fact: Gangs existed originated in part from gangs in Ireland. Functioned similarly to gangs of today.
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Gangs of New York NY’s infamous Five Points
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The Battle?
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Bandits Roost
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NY Irish Gangs Disappeared as they became economically assimilated
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Why study the Irish? American success story
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