Irish immigrants began arriving in America at the very beginning of European colonization in the early 1600s. Having been colonized itself–by the Vikings, by the Normans, by the English–some sailed as colonizers and others to be free of that particular yoke. Some sailed for religion or politics. Far more sailed to find freedom from starvation and poverty at home.
On St. Patrick’s Day, we raise a pint of Guinness stout (or Jameson whisky) to Ireland and our Irish ancestors. Some may see the day as just another excuse for merriment, while others of us reflect on who America would not be who we are without Ireland.
Between 1820 and 1860, Irish immigrants constituted over one-third of all immigrants to the United States, with the Great Famine (1845-1852) leading to a massive influx. My 7th great-grandfather William McCain left Ireland about 1728 for New York, while my 5th great-grandfather James Dailey left about 1788 for the same destination. My 4th great-grandfather, named James Taylor, left County Cavan for Canada about 1831. My grandfather’s grandmother Mary Egan emigrated from County Cork, winding up in Ohio then Michigan. My grandmother’s grandfather James Maloy was the son of Irish immigrants who fled County Roscommon in 1849, who sailed for Canada, then settled across the river in Upstate New York.
The Irish were the original undocumented immigrants in the U.S. According to the Library of Congress, “Ireland’s population decreased dramatically throughout the nineteenth century. Census figures show an Irish population of 8.2 million in 1841, 6.6 million a decade later, and only 4.7 million in 1891. It is estimated that as many as 4.5 million Irish arrived in America between 1820 and 1930.” You might say, each of their descendants could be where so many others are crossing borders today.
Irish immigrants faced discrimination based on their religion, ethnicity, and perceived social status. Some employers openly discriminated against Irish immigrants, with job postings like “No Irish Need Apply” becoming common. Irish immigrants were often stereotyped as drunkards and brutes, leading to further prejudice and hostility.
Even today, the influence of Irish ancestry seeps into American culture. Of the 5 million estimated residents of Cook County (Chicago), Illinois, about 9% claim Irish ancestry. About 28% of the residents of Butte-Sillver Bow, Montana, are Irish blood–at one time during the mining boom, it is said there were more Irishmen in Montana than left in Ireland.
Spanning four centuries, the arrival and integration of Irish immigrants into American society resulted in a reciprocal transformation, with their descendants playing pivotal roles in shaping the nation’s political, industrial, cultural, and religious fabric.
- Irishmen and Irish-Americans fought on both sides of the Civil War.
- Irish immigrants helped build the transcontinental railroad west after the war.
- Irish folk music influenced American bluegrass, folk, country, and western music.
- Irish-American writers like Eugene O’Neill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and George M. Cohan made significant contributions to American literature.
From politics and industry to literature, music, and arts, America would not be what we are today without the contributions of our Irish ancestors. We are all immigrants.
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