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The Irish came to America to get out of Ireland. Until recently Ireland was one of the poorest places in Western Europe (because of interference from Britain). In America, the Irish found a home that tolerated the Roman Catholic religion, and provided jobs and opportunities that were otherwise lacking in Ireland.

The first great emigration of the Irish to America was actually undertaken by northern Presbyterians. These were the descendants of the Scottish Presbyterians who were planted in Ulster. They were escaping the religious persecution of the penal laws. While most of the penal laws were aimed at suppressing the Catholics there were a few laws aimed at the Presbyterians as well. It is actually this emigration that led to the term Scotch-Irish.

The greatest emigration happened during the Great Famine (1845-1850), where people would emigrate to foreign shores in an attempt to survive and better their lives, while escaping from extreme poverty and workhouses. While the emigration led to the Irish going all over the world, the majority of the immigrants came to the USA. Of course, the emigration to the USA lasted much longer then the Great Famine, due to the relatively weak nature of the Irish economy. America was seen as the land of opportunity (to many, it is still seen that way). This is why most people came to America, not just the Irish.

The Irish fled to America to escape genocide perpetuated by the hands of the English and indifference of Continental Europeans. What is commonly called the Irish Famine was the direct result of a policy limiting what the Irish were allowed to own and eat. When a potato blight struck, many in Europe began to want for food. The major difference of course was in Ireland, where the English confiscated all food supplies from the Irish countryside in order to bulwark the food supplies in England. The most reliable estimates put the death toll due to salutary neglect at 5 to 6 million persons.

It is understood that the Irish who fled to America were generally from the poorer stock subject to the tyranny of the English Crown. They also came from predominantly, what we would call today, ethnic Irish areas that did not primarily speak English. That created a second issue also to be considered.

The speaking of the Irish language had been illegal since 1366. Also made illegal at that time was the teaching of school by Irish, ownership of land, and holding titles. For much of that period it was punishable by death to speak Irish. After 1831 the punishment for speaking Irish to that of caning (or beating with a stick).

Further exacerbating the problem was that of the persecution of the Catholic faith. It was a capital offense to be a priest. Liturgy was conducted in secret often in woods, safe hourses, or in very rural areas -- often these services were discovered. The punishment was prison and the death penalty for those who partook. Church buildings were also illegal, and because the English Crown had already seized all of the ancient institutions surrounding the Catholic faith, the English monarch was declared to be the supreme ruler of the Christian faith.

Another injustice from an earlier time that no doubt left a lasting impression on the Irish was the King's Plantation and the separate Queen's Plantation. It was here that the Irish were 'bred-out.' The Irish women were raped by English landlords so that their babies would be only half-Irish. They would then rape the young half-Irish baby girls when they were old enough to have children as a way to dilute Irish blood further. The men at King's Plantation were put into forced labor for the duration.

When the Irish arrived in America, the American Party (a major political party) ran on an anti-Irish platform. The Klu Klux Klan was formed to fight the Irish, Catholics, and to a lesser extent Blacks and Jews. It was a policy in the Southern States that employment was given to Free Blacks first and then to Blacks in bondage. Generally speaking, the Irish and the Jews were never welcome, except in Louisiana, which had a tradition of tolerance since it had been a colony of the Spanish and French. In other places across America there were walled-in colonies of the Irish. In some places these were called 'the Acre.' It was basically a walled-in town or neighborhood where it was illegal for the Irish-Americans to leave, except for work, and they had a curfew to return before dusk. The only jobs tended to be at walled-in factories where the Irish-Americans were forced to work for low wages and then give their money back to the employer-owned apartment blocks, shops, and stores. Sometimes Catholic churches were allowed to be built due to a degree of kindness by the pure-blood Americans, but even these, to remain within the letter of the law, had to be built into the walled-in Irish ghetto neighborhoods. The oldest of these is a church in the Blackstone Valley in Massachusetts, which oddly enough is a shrine dedicated to the biblical 'Slaughter of the Innocents.' As you can see, it parodies the slaughter of the innocent Irish -- this was not coincidental when the local faithful implemented the shrine. It is also worth noting that due to the Irish-American affinity to the 'Slaughter of the Innocents' this shrine is dedicated to another slaughter of innocents, and that's the one of unborn children who through the fault of an oppressive and uncaring society never get to see or enjoy the light of day.

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Drake Rodriguez

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2y ago
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Michael Bogisich

Lvl 10
2y ago

In the times when Immigration was heavy, America was a blossoming country, and was said to be the best place to live. It was thought that America had land and jobs to share and that is why America was a popular place to immigrate to.

In the case of why the Irish specifically came, it was most probably the Potato Famine. The Potato Famine left thousands of Irish starving, and without any income. Raising the potatoes was the livelihood of most Irish and when the rot struck, they had no way to pay landlords or pay for food. They were forced to leave in hopes of a better life somewhere else, and since America seemed to be so rich in opportunities, most chose to go there.

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9y ago

The Irish came to America to get out of Ireland. Until recently Ireland was one of the poorest places in Western Europe (because of interference from Britain). In America, the Irish found a home that tolerated the Roman Catholic religion, and provided jobs and opportunities that were otherwise lacking in Ireland.

The first great emigration of the Irish to America was actually undertaken by northern Presbyterians. These were the descendants of the Scottish Presbyterians who were planted in Ulster. They were escaping the religious persecution of the penal laws. While most of the penal laws were aimed at suppressing the Catholics there were a few laws aimed at the Presbyterians as well. It is actually this emigration that led to the term Scotch-Irish.

The greatest emigration happened during the Great Famine (1845-1850), where people would emigrate to foreign shores in an attempt to survive and better their lives, while escaping from extreme poverty and workhouses. While the emigration led to the Irish going all over the world, the majority of the immigrants came to the USA. Of course, the emigration to the USA lasted much longer then the Great Famine, due to the relatively weak nature of the Irish economy. America was seen as the land of opportunity (to many, it is still seen that way). This is why most people came to America, not just the Irish.

The Irish fled to America to escape genocide perpetuated by the hands of the English and indifference of Continental Europeans. What is commonly called the Irish Famine was the direct result of a policy limiting what the Irish were allowed to own and eat. When a potato blight struck, many in Europe began to want for food. The major difference of course was in Ireland, where the English confiscated all food supplies from the Irish countryside in order to bulwark the food supplies in England. The most reliable estimates put the death toll due to salutary neglect at 5 to 6 million persons.

It is understood that the Irish who fled to America were generally from the poorer stock subject to the tyranny of the English Crown. They also came from predominantly, what we would call today, ethnic Irish areas that did not primarily speak English. That created a second issue also to be considered.

The speaking of the Irish language had been illegal since 1366. Also made illegal at that time was the teaching of school by Irish, ownership of land, and holding titles. For much of that period it was punishable by death to speak Irish. After 1831 the punishment for speaking Irish to that of caning (or beating with a stick).

Further exacerbating the problem was that of the persecution of the Catholic faith. It was a capital offense to be a priest. Liturgy was conducted in secret often in woods, safe hourses, or in very rural areas -- often these services were discovered. The punishment was prison and the death penalty for those who partook. Church buildings were also illegal, and because the English Crown had already seized all of the ancient institutions surrounding the Catholic faith, the English monarch was declared to be the supreme ruler of the Christian faith.

Another injustice from an earlier time that no doubt left a lasting impression on the Irish was the King's Plantation and the separate Queen's Plantation. It was here that the Irish were 'bred-out.' The Irish women were raped by English landlords so that their babies would be only half-Irish. They would then rape the young half-Irish baby girls when they were old enough to have children as a way to dilute Irish blood further. The men at King's Plantation were put into forced labor for the duration.

When the Irish arrived in America, the American Party (a major political party) ran on an anti-Irish platform. The Klu Klux Klan was formed to fight the Irish, Catholics, and to a lesser extent Blacks and Jews. It was a policy in the Southern States that employment was given to Free Blacks first and then to Blacks in bondage. Generally speaking, the Irish and the Jews were never welcome, except in Louisiana, which had a tradition of tolerance since it had been a colony of the Spanish and French. In other places across America there were walled-in colonies of the Irish. In some places these were called 'the Acre.' It was basically a walled-in town or neighborhood where it was illegal for the Irish-Americans to leave, except for work, and they had a curfew to return before dusk. The only jobs tended to be at walled-in factories where the Irish-Americans were forced to work for low wages and then give their money back to the employer-owned apartment blocks, shops, and stores. Sometimes Catholic churches were allowed to be built due to a degree of kindness by the pure-blood Americans, but even these, to remain within the letter of the law, had to be built into the walled-in Irish ghetto neighborhoods. The oldest of these is a church in the Blackstone Valley in Massachusetts, which oddly enough is a shrine dedicated to the biblical 'Slaughter of the Innocents.' As you can see, it parodies the slaughter of the innocent Irish -- this was not coincidental when the local faithful implemented the shrine. It is also worth noting that due to the Irish-American affinity to the 'Slaughter of the Innocents' this shrine is dedicated to another slaughter of innocents, and that's the one of unborn children who through the fault of an oppressive and uncaring society never get to see or enjoy the light of day.

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13y ago

Because during the famine people in Ireland where desperate to have food. They decided to go to to America to find jobs and earn wages so they could buy more food.

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12y ago

Irish immigrants came to America because of the large potato famine in Ireland.

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14y ago

Seeking for a better life, wealthy and land. These things were not easy to get in 1800s ireland. Also fleeing from the famines that spread in that island.

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11y ago

becasue

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Q: Why did Irish immigrants immigrate to America?
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Related questions

Where do the Irish immigrate to?

At the time of The Great Famine they immigrated to America and Australia. Nowaday they immigrate to where-ever they want to. There isn't a specific place for them to immigrate to.


Was America what the Irish immigrants thought it would be?

No, it was better. Irish immigrants had rights and freedoms in America, when they previously did not in their home country.


who broughr the jack-o-lantern to america?

living human but really it was Irish immigrants


What push factor lead the Irish to immigrate to America?

The potato drought of 1845


When did Irish people immigrate to America because of the potato famine?

From about 1845 to 1852.


When did the Scottish immigrate to America?

Some Scottish immigrants to America were forced there as convicted prisoners, but most came seeking an opportunity for a better life, as did most other immigrants to America.


Did Irish immigrate or colonize to America?

They immigrated after WW2. They also immigrated around 1840-50 at the time of the Irish famine.


Where are Irish immigrants going?

Irish immigrants are going to Ireland, Irish emigrants are going to many places including America, Australia, Britain and Canada.


When did most Irish people immigrate?

Assuming you mean America, the 1840s due to the potato famine.


What food did Irish immigrants bring to America?

They brought potatoes and irish chedder


What immigrants came to America after their country united with England?

The Irish


The largest group of immigrants living in America in 1860 was?

Irish